The Curse Of Egypt
by aki.ari
Summary: Jade meets the gang and they become friends. One of Jade's old friends come back after ten or more years what does she want and what does Egypt have to do with it? -ON HIATUS-
1. Profile

Profiles

Jade: Black waist length hair with silver streaks. Deep green eyes. Her skin was lightly tanned and she wore a black choker with a diamond in it's center. She wears one of the school uniforms just like everyone else has to wear for school. She normally wears a black vest top with dark blue jeans. She also wears black and grey reebock shoes.

Kyrah: Medium length black hair that goes to about a little lower than her mid back, with red streaks. Her eyes are black. Her skin is tanned. She wears a neclace with a silver scorpian on it, the eyes are small rubies. She has a snake tattoo on her upper right arm and a egyptian hyroglyphs on her left arm. On her left wrist is a pyramid which has been cut up in several places and on her right wrist is a wolf. She wears a silver snake bracelet that coils around her entire right arm and a black pyramid stud bracelet on her left wrist covering the pyramid. She wears a black vest top with a black jacket that has the a silver scorpian on it. She wears black skater pants and black vans shoes.

Kyle: Short spiked black hair. He has deep ocean blue eyes, and tanned skin. He wears a silver rocker chain around his neck and black pyramid stud bracelets around his wrists.He has a dragon tattooed on his upper right arm and a snake tattooed on his right wrist. He wears black band t-shirts and black skater pants with rocker chains on them. He wears black and grey vans shoes.

Alex: Short black hair. He has amber eyes and lightly tanned skin. He wears black pyramid stud bracelets on his wrists and had a tiger tattooed on his upper left arm and a hawk tattooed on his right wrist. He wears black band t-shirts and black skater pants with the bottom all ripped up. He wears black and red vans shoes.

Kaia: Black waist length hair with white tips. Grey eyes and tanned skin. She wears a silver necklace with anubis on it and has a jaguar tattooed on her upper right arm. She wears Grey vest tops and grey skater pants and grey vans shoes.

Kendra: Black medium length hair with blue streaks. She has brown eyes and tanned skin. She wears a black necklace with a small sphinx on it. She wears white t-shirts and black khakis with navy blue nike shoes.

A/N: this is my first Yu Gi Oh fan fic. I except all critics and comments cause it'll help me do better. please if i make a mistake anywhere in this story can you correct me. thanx


	2. Chapter 1: Late

A/N: I don't know nor do I care how old Yugi and the rest of the gang is. In my story they are all old enough to drive and are around eighteen or nineteen as well as my charachters.

'First day of school' Jade sighed as she walked down the street toward her new school.

Jade had moved just moved to Domino city and was living in her huge mansion with only her husky puppy Akina to keep her company.

Akina was a small five month old pup with silvery white fur. Jade's father was on a never ending buisness trip somewhere in Europe.

"I can't believe my car broke down this morning, talk about bad luck" Jade mumbled to herself as she let her gaze fall to the ground as she walked.

"Bye grandpa!" Yugi yelled running out of the house looking back as he waved to his grandpa. He wasn't looking as to where he was running and ran right into Jade as she was passing the front of the game shop.

Both of them fell down. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you alright?" Yugi asked. Jade nodded standing as she brushed some dust of her clothes. She grabbed her bag and glanced at her watch.

"Shit!" she yelled waving to Yugi as she took of. "Wonder what's with her" Yugi spoke softly.

'Yugi you're going to be late for school' Yami thought to him.

"You're right" Yugi said starting to run in the same direction as Jade.

"Shit, my first day of school and i'm already late" Jade mumbled as she ran into the building.

She went to the office and got her class schedule and text books then she ran to her first period class.

"Math" Jade said sadly 'the only subject I don't like, i'm good at it but it's so boring' she thought as she opened the classroom door and peered inside.

"Um excuse me, Mr Dean" Jade said. The teacher looked over to her and motioned for her to come in.

Mr. Dean was a tall man with light skin. He had brown eyes. He wore a black suit and a tie. His voice was light and joyful.

'Well he doesn't seem to bad' Jade thought.

"Class we have a new student today, i'll let her introduce herself" Mr. Dean said.

"Hello, my name is Jade" she said simply.

Mr. Dean looked to an empty seat beside Tea. "Jade you can go sit over there by miss Tea Gardener. Tea waved lightly to Jade and smiled.

Jade nodded and walked over to Tea putting her bag on the back of the chair.

"Hi i'm Tea pleased to meet you" Tea said offering her hand. "Hi" Jade said shaking her hand with a completely neutral face.

'This girl seems to preppy for my liking. Damn this is going to be a long day' Jade thought sighing.


	3. Chapter 2: Poetry Lesson

A/N: I forgot to say this before so here goes. Yugi and yami both have their own bodies in this fic. Yami is refered to as Atem. When I say they talk in their minds to each other I mean that they still have a link that allows them to comunicate through their minds. Atem and Yugi look like brothers and live with Yugi's grandpa at the game shop.

About ten minuets after Jade had come in Yugi ran through the doors of the school and towards his first period class which just happened to be math.

"Sorry i'm late Mr. Dean" Yugi said breathlessly as he burst through the door. "It's alright now take your seat" Mr.Dean said.

Yugi walked to his seat in front of Tea. "Hi again" Yugi whispered to Jade as he sat down. "Hey" Jade said softly.

Mr. Dean taught the lesson and then gave out the homework. Jade looked at the work and mentaly smiled. 'This work is easy i'll be done in no time' she thought starting to write. She wrote the answers to each of the questions and finished within fifteen minutes after the work had been given.

She pulled out her sketch book and started to draw the class.

After about ten minuets of not hearing Jade's pencil on the page she looked up to see her drawing.

"You should finish your work first" Tea whispered "I know, and I did" Jade said. Tea looked at her with pure shock. The work was easy for her but she never thought that anyone would finish that fast.

Tea looked back to her work and continued her work.

After about a half hour the bell rang and class was over. Jade had just finished her sketch and looked at it. 'Not bad' she thought.

"Wow that's great did you do that just now?" Tristen said looking over her shoulder. "What the fuck" Jade said turning around to face two boys one with brown hair and one with blonde hair.

"Hi i'm Tristen" the guy who had startled her said smiling. "I'm Joey" he said smiling.

"I am going to be late for my next class bye" Jade said turning around quickly as she walked out the door.

Tristen and Joey exchanged confused looks and shrugged.

"Hey Jade! wait up" Tea called running up to her. 'Shit could this day possibly get any worse, first i'm late second i'm sitting with a preppy girl and then two physcos start talking to me with huge grins on their faces, sheesh' Jade thought.

"So what's your next class?" Tea asked "history" Jade said 'yes no more boring stuff for the rest of the day' Jade thought looking over her schedule.

"I have science so i'll see you later" Tea said smiling as she ran of.

Jade walked to history class on the second floor and sighed as she looked at the teacher. 'Mrs. Gunner' Jade thought as she read the name on the teachers desk.

Mrs. Gunner was a short woman with curly brown hair that fell to a little past her shoulders and green eyes. She wore a white blouse with a navy blue skirt.

"Mrs. Gunner" Jade said "yes" she said turning to face her "you must be the new student. Jade is it?" she asked. Jade nodded sighing as she glanced around the room.

"You can go sit over there by Tristen Taylor" Mrs. Gunner said.

'Fuck it's him' Jade thought 'history might not be my favorite subject anymore' she thought sadly. Jade walked over to Tristen and sat down her neutral face never changing to show any emotion.

"Hey nice to see you again" Tristen said "hi" Jade said softly. "So do you like Domino city so far?" he asked trying to make conversation. "I suppose though I haven't really gone anywhere yet" Jade spoke still soft and emotionless.

"Ok maybe I can show you around sometime" he said smiling "maybe" Jade said.

"Ok class you are going to read pages one hundred fourty to one hundred seventy then you are going to answer the questions on page one hundred seventy one" Mrs Gunner said.

Jade flipped through her text book until she reached page one hundred seventy one and looked over the questions. 'Hey I know all this already' she thought starting to write down the answers in her note book.

Tristen looked over to jade and saw that she was already writing "hey you read all that already?" he asked softly "no why should I if I know all the answers already" Jade said more of a statement than a question. Tristen smiled and continued reading.

Jade had finished answering all the questions in half an hour and had plenty time to work on another sketch. She pulled out her sketch book and began to draw.

When the bell rang she looked at her finished work and sighed. Tristen looked at her work and smiled.

"Wow you are going to be great in art class" he said. "I guess" Jade said gathering ehr books and walking to the door. Tristen followed her.

"Hey what class do you have next" he asked "Language" Jade said "cool me to i'll walk with you" he said.

Jade shrugged as they walked to their next class. "Mrs. Rivieres" Jade said as Tristen left her to go to his seat. "You must be Jade a pleasure to have you in my class please take a seat beside Tea Gardener" Mrs. Rivieres said smiling.

Jade shuddered 'this teacher is way to happy, damn that's scary' she thought as she sat next to Tea.

"Hey, how was history?" Tea asked "easy" Jade replied. Tea laughed and asked "who are you sitting next to?" "Tristen" Jade said. "Really he is one of my friends" Tea said smiling. Jade nodded and looked at the work that Mrs. Rivieres had just passed out.

'Write a poem that describes your mood' Jade read.

"I'm terrible at poetry" Tea said sulking "you'll get better at it if you practice" Jade said absent mindly.

_World in shambles_

_Life ceases to go on_

_Pain in the heart_

_Soul destroyed_

_Mind shattered_

_Life devoured_

_A speck of light _

_At the end of eternity_

_Forever a promise_

_Death and darkness_

_Love and light_

_Never gives up the fight_

_A tourtured soul_

_Engulfed in a world of Pain_

_And a river of tears._

Jade finished writing and looked at the paper 'what that's it?' she wondered.

"You done already?" Tea asked Jade nodded. "Can I see?" Tea asked Jade handed Tea her note book.

Tea read the poem and looked to Jade "this is amazing you're really talanted" "thanks" Jade said.

"What have you done so far?" Jade asked "nothing Tea said looking at the blank page in front of her. "I can help you, at lunch if you want" Jade said "really thanks" Tea said smiling.

Jade pulled out her sketch book yet again and started to draw the language room. She finished a few minuets before class was to end.

The bell rang and it was lunch time. Jade gathered her books and looked to Tea "i'll meet you outside ok" Tea nodded.

Jade went straight outside not being hungry. She sat under the shade of a tree and pulled out her sketch book and started to draw the school. After about ten minuets she had finished half of it.

A shadow cast over her and she excpected it to be Tea. "Are you new here?" a male asked. Jade looked up to see a light skinned boy with white hair and brown eyes. "Ya" she said softly her neutral expression never changing.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you my name is Bakura and you are very talanted" he said gesturing towards her sketch. "Thanks, my name is Jade" she said.

"Hey Bakura" Tea said walking up to them. "Hi Tea" Bakura said.

"You ready?" Jade asked, Tea nodded smiling. "For what?" Bakura asked "Jade is helping me with my poetry for Language class" Tea said "really, so the artist is also a poet" Bakkura said smiling.

"Ok Tea what inspires you?" Jade asked while still sketching. "I don't know" she said looking confused. "Ok, what things are you interested in?" Jade asked. "Uh friendship and nature and stuff like that" Tea said still confused.

"Ok friendship, do you have a lot of friends? and how do you feel when you're around them?" Jade asked. "Ya I have a lot of friends and I feel safe and confident around them" Tea said.

"How do you feel when you are away from them?" Jade asked "sad and lonely" Tea said still not understanding how this was going o help her with the poetry work.

"So in class you were away from your friends and you felt sad and lonely?" Jade asked "ya but now you're my friend, so i'm not lonely any more" Tea said smiling.

'Me her friend uh maybe we should talk about this "friend" thing later' Jade thought.

"Well tell me in verse how sad you were at first" Jade said "uh alone and discouraged, waiting for the end" Tea said "good that's your first two lines of the poem write it down" Jade said.

"Next how did you feel when I got there, in verse, it doesn't have to rhyme" Jade said. "At first I was lost away from all others, a friend came along and brightened my day" Tea said. "Nice now write that down, those are your next two verses.

"Now what was the duration of class like in verse?" Jade asked "uh dull and confused, having no hope, never thought I could" Tea said "ok those are your next three verses.

"When I told you I could help how did you feel?" Jade asked as she neared the completion of her sketch.

"A friend shined a light, cleared my thoughts, and offered me help" Tea said "those are the next three lines.

"Finally, when class was nearing an end" Jade said "a renewed hope, a slender smile, thank you so much for your time" Tea said. "Well you're done" Jade said.

_Alone and discouraged _

_Waiting for the end_

_At first I was lost_

_Away from all others_

_A friend came along _

_And brightened my day_

_Dull and confused_

_Having no Hope_

_Never thought I could_

_A friend shined a light _

_Claered my thoughts_

_And offered me help_

_A renewed hope_

_A slender smile_

_Thank you so much _

_For your Time._

Tea read over what she had just written and smiled. "Thank you so much" She said hugging Jade. "Uh you can let go of me now" Jade said.

"I'm going to show Yugi and the others" Tea siad smiling as she jumped up and ran to meet the others.

"Not bad" Bakura said "what?" Jade asked. "You taught her how to write poetry in less than an hour, and finished your sketch of the school. I'm impressed" he said smiling.

"Can I sit with you?" Bakura asked "ya if you want" Jade said as her emotionless amsk slipped a bit letting a tinge of pink to stain her cheeks.

"So how do you like it here in Domino?" Bakura asked "it's fine" she said. "Hey after school you want me and Yugi and Tristen and the others to show you around. It'll be fun" he said.

Jade thought about it for a bit "why not" she said allowing a smile to grace her features.

"Great i'll tell the guys" Bakura said getting up.

'Finally alone for a bit just until the bell rings. They all seem nice. I think they'll be cool to hang out with. I just hope i'm not wrong' Jade thought.


	4. Chapter 3: After Lunch Classes

The bell rang and lunch was over. Jade got up and gathered her belongings and started walking towards the building.

'I have art next' Jade thought letting a smile to cross her face. "Hey Jade!" Bakura called. Jade stoped and turned around to see him running to catch up with her.

"Hi" she said "what class do you have next?" he asked. "Art" she said "really? me too" he said smiling. "Can I walk you there?" he asked "uh sure" she said.

They soon reached the art room on the fourth floor. "The art teacher's name is Mr. Kodan, he marks really hard but I think you'll do great" Bakura said. "Thanks" Jade said as she walked up to the teachers desk.

Bakura walked over to his seat near the back of the room. "Mr. Kodan" Jade said. Mr. Kodan turned around to face Jade with a smile on his face.

"Hello, you must be Jade, you can sit over there by Bakura" he said "ok" Jade said walking to the back of the room. She sat next to Bakura and he looked at her smiling. "I think my day just got better" he said giving a light laugh.

Jade smiled and a light blush crept to her cheeks.

"Ok class today I want you to draw an object in the class. Don't forget shading, highlights or presicion. You are trying to make it look realistic" Mr. Kodan said passing out sheets of blank paper.

Jade looked around the class and thought she would draw the front of the room, with the center point being Mr. Kodan's desk.

She started to sketch in lightly all the objects and slowly added more detail she picked out the lighting on the desk and things cluttered on top of it. She finally sketched in Mr. Kodan standing by his desk looking around the class. She had to fix his facial features a few times because he wasn't staying still.

She finally got it finished and smiled at her work. Bakura had been glancing over at her now and then to see if she was going ok.

"Hey you done?" He asked she noded. "Me too" he said showing her his picture of the window and what lay outside of it.

"It's really nice" Jade said pulling out her sketch book. He looked at her intently as she started to draw. She drew the walls like the inside of a pyramid with treasures piled high and in the center of the room lay a coffin.

"Wow did you draw that from memory?" Bakura asked "ya, when I was in Egypt with a friend about ten years ago we went into a tomb and this is what I saw. I haven't seen her since I left the next day" Jade said.

"You haven't seen her for ten years?" Bakura asked "no and I wrote a few times but she never wrote back. I don't know what happened to her and I miss her. She was almost like a sister to me always there to protect me and help me if I needed it" Jade said as the memory became fresh in her mind.

Mr. Kodan saw the two of them talking and walked ot the back of the room. "This is class time not talking time, you two should finish your art first" he said. Jade handed him her sheet of the front of the room with him standing by his desk.

"Oh my you are very talanted" he said. Bakura handed him his art. "Wonderful as usual Bakura keep it up" Mr. Kodan said returning to the front of the room.

The bell rang shortly after and Jade gathered her things and stood up. Bakura got up and they walked out of the art room.

"What do you have next?" he asked "computers" she replied. "Wow so do I. That class is really easy it's like a free study period" Bakura said smiling at her.

"Ok" Jade said as they walked down to the first floor where the Library was. "Hi Mrs. Shardea" Bakura said "hello Bakura" she said. "This is Jade, she's the new student" he said.

"Hello Jade, I trust that everything is going ok so far" Mrs. Shardea said Jade noded.

"Class this is a free period just like always, keep the noise low" Mrs. Shardea said before walking over to her office.

"Hey" Tea said walking over with Yugi. "Hi" Bakura said. "Where is Jade?" Tea asked "huh, she was right here" Bakura said turning around to see if she was anywhere close by.

"So she went somewhere?" Tea asked "ya she must be in here though" Bakura said.

'Wow all these books on Egypt' Jade thought. "Hello there I don't believe i've seen you around here before" said a cold male voice. Jade turned around to see boy with tan skin, whitish hair and light purple eyes.

"I'm Marik Ishatar" he said. "Hi" Jade said 'this guy gives me the creeps, somethings different about him' she thought. Just then she felt a chill. (A/N)

"You are very beautiful" he said "thanks" Jade said taking a step back only to run into a book shelf. 'Damn I don't like this' she thought.

Marik advanced on her slowly.

"Jade there you are we've been looking for you" Bakura said "bye Marik it's been a fun" Jade said running to meet Bakura.

'That was a close one wonder what happened to him' Jade thought as she walked with Bakura to Tea and Yugi who were looking for her as well.

A/N: Yami and Yugi both have their own bodies and Marik's dark side was banished to the shadow realm but he still has a part of him that drives him to do wrong things. He is in control of it for the most part. Bakura and his Yami have their own bodies but I don't have his Yami in this story. I may mention him but that's all. Bakura just like Marik still has a dark part to him but he never let's it control his actions.


	5. Chaoter 4: After School

"Tea, Yugi, I found her" Bakura called. Both Tea and Yugi turnned and walked over to them. "Where were you?" Tea asked "looking at books on Egypt" Jade replied softly.

"Oh hi um you're the guy I ran into this morning. Well actually you ran into me but ya. Never got your name is it Yugi?" Jade asked "ya, and sorry about this morning" Yugi said. "It's ok" Jade replied smiling.

"Bakura said you're going to come with us after school for the tour of the city" Tea said "ya" Jade said. "Yay this is going to be so much fun Serenity is going to be so happy that there is another girl around besides me" Tea said.

"Serenity?" Jade asked "Joey's little sister" Tea replied.

"Jade where did you come here from?" Yugi asked. "Somewhere in Europe" Jade said. "You've been to Europe?" Tea asked Jade nodded.

"That's cool" Tea said smiling. It's almost time for the bell to ring and school is out for the day" Tea said.

"Ok uh I have to go to my place before I see the city cause, Akina is going to get worried" Jade said "who?" Yugi asked "Akina, my best friend" Jade said "you should bring her" Tea said. "She's a husky puppy" Jade said. "Really oh I want to see her, can you please bring her?" Tea asked "uh I don't think she would really want to go around town she likes it quiet" Jade said.

"Ok well i'll have to see her sometime though" Tea said.

The bell rang and Jade grabbed her stuff and started to walk towards the door to leave.

"Wait up" Bakura called. Jade stopped and turned around. Bakura had caught up with her and was smiling. "You want a ride home?" he asked "uh sure" Jade said.

"Follow me" he said walking to the parking lot. Jade followed and stoped when he opened the door to a red mustang convertable.

"Nice car" she said "thanks, hop in" he said holding the door open for her. Jade slid into the car and placed her bag by her feet. Bakura closed the door and went around to the drivers side and opened the door. He sat down and turned on the car, he pulled out of the parking lot and followed the directions Jade gave him. He stoped in front of a huge white estate and his eyes grew wide.

"You live here?" he asked "ya" she responded as the gates opened. Bakura drove in and parked outside of her door.

She got out and walked to the front door. Bakura stood against a coloumn on the front steps, watching Jade fumble with her many keys. She finally got the right one and opened the door. A small furry husky puppy came running up to Jade.

"Akina, how are you?" Jade asked picking up her puppy. Akina nuzzled her and then looked over to Bakura who was smiling at how happy Jade was.

"This Bakura" Jade said to Akina who looked at her funny the nodded. "Does she understand you?" He asked "most of the time ya i've known her since she was born and have taken care of her it's kinda like a special link that allows her soul to be conected to mine. She can't speak but I understand her" Jade said "Kyrah said that animals create special bonds with humans when they go through a lot together, I never believed her" Jade said.

"Kyrah?" Bakura asked "my friend in Egypt" Jade said "oh" Bakura said.

"Do you know why she never replied to any of your letters?" Bakura asked "no" Jade said a tinge of sorrow in her voice.

"Well Akina knows i'm safe lets go meet the others" Jade said smiling. Bakura nodded and they got back in his car.

As he pulled out of the driveway Bakura asked "why do you have all those keys?" "my cars and some of Kyrah's cars and my dad's cars and the house and all the rooms and a few other places" Jade said. Bakura nodded, "why do you have Kyrah's cars?" he asked "she sent the to me but she never sent any of my letters. Well actually it was one of her coworkers who sent them but I don't know why" Jade said.

"They said I could ues them but I never did, and her cars are the coolest" Jade said "why?" Bakura asked asd they neared the Game shop where they were to meet the others. "I didn't feel like it was the right thing to do" Jade said. Bakura nodded and stoped in front of the game shop.

When Jade stepped into the shop with Bakura Atem walked up to them.

"Hi Atem" Bakura said "hi Bakura, is this Jade?" Atem asked. Jade nodded "hi" she said.

She then remembered the tomb thet Kyrah was exploring with her it had carvings on the wall and this Atem guy looked just like one of the drawings on the wall.

"By chance are you a pharoah?" Jade asked Atem and Bakura looked at her like if she was crazy "what makes you think that?" Atem asked. "In Egypt I saw a tomb with drawings on the walls and a few of the drawings look almost exactly like you do" Jade said.

"Well if I said yes would you be scared?" Atem asked "why would I be?" Jade asked "well then yes" he said.

"Ok then, if only I was still in touch with Kyrah she basically lives in those tombs she would know how to connect why you're here and everything" Jade spoke more to herself but loud enough for both Bakura and Atem to hear.

"She lives in the tombs?" Bakura asked "no, she spends so much time in them. I don't know if she still does but most likely she is the same" Jade said "oh" Bakura said.

"Well Yugi and the others are in his room" Atem said "ok thanks" Bakura said taking Jade to Yugi's room to see the others.

As they stepped into the room an young red haired girl hopped up and ran to hug Jade.

"Uh...hi" Jade said "hi i'm Serenity and it's great to have another girl around here" she said smiling. "Ok" Jade said.

"Well let's go so you can see as much of the city as you can before it gets to dark outside" Tristen said walking to the door.

Everyone left the game shop saying bye to Yugi's grandpa and Atem.


	6. Chapter 5: Thank You Kiss

The group took Jade around most of Domino before it got dark then they headed back to the game shop.

"Well how do you like it?" Tea asked Jade shrugged and then said "it's nice here."

Jade stood by the door looking out into the darkness that had covered the city. 'I wonder if Kyrah actually misses me' Jade thought 'why didn't she reply to my letters, is she mad at me.'

Jade stood there in thought for a long time until bakura walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You want me to take you home?" he asked smiling "ya" Jade said.

"Bye you guys i'll see you tomorrow" Jade said waving to the others. "Bye" they all said. "I'm going too, see ya tomorrow" Bakura said "bye" they all said.

Bakura and Jade walked out of the game shop to Bakura's car. He drove her home and smiled as she started to fumble with her keys again.

'I have this urge to kiss her but I don't know how she'll react maybe it's to early' Bakura thought. Jade finally got the right key and got the door open.

"Thanks Bakura" she said smiling "no problem" Bakura said flashing a smile. 'Tomorrow might be better' he thought.

'I should show him thanks instead of just saying it. He is so nice' Jade thought leaning in and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

She smiled and went into the house, she waved to bakura and closed the door. 'I can't believe I did that' she thought mentaly slapping herself.

'Well at least I know she doesn't hate me' Bakura thought smirking as he walked back over to his car and drove of giving one last wave to Jade who was looking through a window. She waved back and then after he had left she sighed and walked over to the lounge where she collapsed on a couch.

"Akina" she called as the small husky puppy ran up to her.

"You miss me?" Jade asked, Akina nodded and nuzzled up to Jade and fell asleep in her arms.

"Well someone is tired" Jade said smiling. "Come to think of it i'm exhausted" Jade said softly as she got up still holding Akina.

"I'm going to bed" she said looking to Akina who was sleeping comfortably in her arms.

Jade went to her room on the second floor and lay Akina down on the bed. She then changed into a loose pair of grey boxers and a white t-shirt.

"Goodnight Akina" Jade whispered as she closed her eyes and drifted of into sleep.


	7. Chapter 6: No School Today

Jade woke up the next morning with the phone ringing. She got to it just as the answering machine recorded the message. "Jade there will be no school today due to certain unforseen curcumstances, have a nice day" a womans voice said.

"No school huh. What am I going to do today then?" She asked herself out loud.

She went and got changed 'i'll go for a walk with Akina' she thought as she lifted Akina up and took her outside to the garden.

Beautiful roses and lilies bloomed near the entrance. Jade walked towards the center of the garden where lotus blossoms grew around the base of the cherry blossom tree.

"Akina can you sit by the tree?" Jade asked smiling as she pulled out her sketch book. Akina ran over and sat under the tree.

Jade smiled and started to draw. After a while she finished and went over to the maze that was made of shrubs and walked in.

She lay her hand on a wall and started to walk. 'I love this maze it always gives me time to think' she thought smiling.

Akina sat on her shoulder as she walked.

After an hour Jade was out of the maze and she smiled as her mind was clear of all the cluttered thoughts.

She walked back to the house and placed Akina down on the couch cause she had fallen asleep while she was walking.

Jade plopped down on the couch next to her and closed her eyes.

A few minuets later she heard a knock at the door. Jade got up and walked to the door. She opened it and smiled it was her new friends.

"I can't believe you live here" Joey said looking up at the building. Jade gave a light laugh "hey do you know why there isn't any school today?" she asked "no" Tea said.

"Come in" Jade said opening the door all the way so they could all come in.

"Sorry maybe we should have called first" Bakura said as he walked in followed by Atem. "It's okay" Jade said smiling as she closed the door behind them.

"Is it ok if we hang out here today mostly everywhere is closed" Tristen said "ya sure" Jade said walking back into the lounge.

"That's odd where'd she go" Jade asked herself looking around the room.

Akina jumped on Tea. "Ahhh" Tea screamed and then sighed as she saw the cute little puppy on her shoulder.

"There you are" Jade said laughing. "Is this Akina?" Tea asked Jade nodded and smiled as Akina licked Tea asnd then hopped of her.

"She's so cute" Tea said smiling. "So where are your parents?" Yugi asked looking around. "My mom died and my dad is somewhere in Europe" Jade said "oh, i'm sorry" Yugi said "it's fine it wasn't your fault" Jade said.

"So you live here alone?" Bakura asked "ya" Jade replied.

"Hey can we stay over tonight?" Tea asked smiling "sure, why not" Jade said. "Cool we should get the stuff we'll need for tonight then" Serenity said "ya, Jade we'll be back in a bit we're just gonna grab some stuff" Tea said.

"Ok" Jade said smiling as she picked up Akina and walked over to the couch. Everyone left to get some stuff from home.

'Wow I hardly know them and they're sleeping over' Jade thought looking down at Akina. Akina cuddled up and fell asleep again.

About half an hour later the group started to show up again. Bakura, Yugi and Atem were the first to show up. Then the others came.

"You guys can choose any room you want up stairs except for the two that are locked" Jade said. They nodded and went upstairs.

Jade was sitting downstairs with Akina in her lap as she sketched a picture of what she remembered Kyrah to look like.

"Who's that?" Tea asked coming back from upstairs. "A friend of mine from a long time ago" Jade said. "Oh, anyway uh the rooms are huge and they are so cool" Tea said "ya I guess so" Jade replied.

"You live here alone!" Joey stated running down the stairs. "I believe I told you that already" Jade said. "You have over fifty rooms up there" Joey said "so" Jade said.

Joey was silent and just sat down while they waited for the others to come down.

"This house is huge" Tristen said, Jade shrugged.

"So what do you want to do?" Jade asked "uh didn't really think about it" Tea said. Jade shrugged "when you think of something call me i'll be out in the garden" Jade said pointing to the window that shows the garden.

Tea nodded as Jade walked out the door with Akina.

Jade sat under the cherry blossom tree in the garden and smiled. 'I love the smell of these flowers' she thought.

After a few minuets of sitting in silence she heard a light tapping noise and looked up. It was raining. (A/N)

She went over to the house and went inside "It's raining" she said. Tea glanced outside and sighed.

"So we can't go outside so is there anything inside we can do?" Tristen asked "the recration room is just down stairs" Jade said as she walked to the lounge and sat down holding Akina close.

A/N: The garden is inside a glass building conected to the house.


	8. Chapter 7: Stormy Weather

Everyone was in the rec room playing games, while Jade sat in the lounge looking out the window. 'The rain is getting heavier' she thought as she stroked Akina's soft fur.

"Hey Jade why don't you comw play with us?" Tea asked. Jade looked at her "I don't really feel like playing anything right now" she said. Tea looked at her with a worried expression and sat down next to her on the couch.

"What's wrong?" she asked "nothing, everything is fine" Jade said smiling. "The rain is getting heavier" Jade said changing the subject.

"Ya weird huh?" Tea said "I suppose" Jade said. "It was just so sunny earlier and then all of a sudden it starts to rain. I don't know maybe i'm paranoied bit it's kinda wierd" Tea said giving a light laugh.

Jade looked at her then looked out the window. The sky had turned dark and the rain had gotten very heavy within the last few hours.

"So why aren't you down there with the others?" Jade asked "I wanted to see how you were doing you were kinda distant today since we got here" Tea said. "Sorry i'm just not used to being around other people like this. I mean at school and stuff i'm used to but i've been living on my own for years and I don't really know how to act" she said.

"I understand. I'm going to go back now but if you need to talk i'm always here" Tea said smiling "thanks" Jade said.

Tea walked back down to the rec room and sat down with Atem and Bakura who were not playing.

"So?" Bakura asked "she's fine with us being here and all she's just not used to it and isn't really sure of what to do" Tea said. "So how is the weather looking?" Atem asked. "Dark, rainy and bleak" Tea said.

Bakura stood up and walked up to the lounge and saw Jade sitting there just stairing off out the window.

"Hey" he said as he aproached her "hi" Jade said never moving her gaze from the storm outside.

"You ok you look kind of spaced out" Bakura said sitting next to her. "I'm fine" Jade said stroking Akina's fur.

"Hey Jade do you have any food here? I'm starving" Joey said running upstairs. "Ya the kitchen is down the left hall and turn into the first door on your right help yourself" she said "thanks Joey said running down the hall.

"Wait you shouldn't have said that" Tristen said running up from the rec room "what?" Jade asked. "Help yourself" Tristen said "why?" Jade asked "he's going to eat everything you have here" Tristen said. "Uh I don't think that's possible" Jade said with a borde expression on her face.

"Ahhhhhh" Joey yelled from the kitchen everyone in the rec room ran up the stairs and looked at Jade. "What the hell is he screaming for?" Duke asked Jade seemed to be thinking about that and then jumped up of the couch. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed running to the kitchen.

The rest of the group followed her. Jade stoped in the doorway to the kitchen seeing Joey cowering untop of a table with a knife in his hand.

"Uh Joey..." Jade said "finally, help me there's a monster in here!" he yelled. "I don't mean to be rude but... What the hell are you doing? and get of the table" Jade said.

"No if I come down it'll get me" Joey said "Azriate will not hurt you now get the fuck of the table!" Jade yelled.

"Azri who?" Joey asked. "The so called 'monster' as you said" Jade said quoting Joey's previous words.

"Who is Azriate?" Tea asked "maybe I should have told you earlier but it kinda slipped my mind. Uh do any of you have a fear of snakes? besides Joey" Jade asked.

"Snakes?" Tea asked stepping backwards along with Tristen, Serenity, Duke and Yugi. "I guess that means you guys don't like them either" Jade said. "Well then maybe you shoold go while I get Azriate back to her room" Jade said. Tean and the other nodded and ran back to the rec room.

Jade was there with Atem and Bakura. "Uh Joey...you can come down now" Jade said "no it's gonna eat me" Joey said. "Fine stay up there" Jade said her frustration building.

"Azriate come on out" Jade called as she did so a long rather large snake slithered out from under a table at the far end of the room. Atem and Bakura's eyes grew wide as Jade walked right up to the serpent and bent down picking her up. Azriate coiled around Jade's arm and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Ok let's get you back to your room ok" Jade said walking past Joey who was still very scared. "Joey you can get of the table now" Jade said as she walked past Atem and Bakura who both took a step back to make room for Jade to pass with the serpent.

"Akina" Jade said as the puppy ran up to her. Azriate slithered down Jade's body and Akina sat at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Azriate to get onto the railing.

Azriate slithered up the stairs and Akina ran up following her. Jade let out a light laugh and followed. They got halfway up the stairs when Jade heard Tea scream.

"What the heck?" Jade said running down the stairs followed by Akina and Azriate. The two stayed at the bottom of the stairs while Jade ran into tthe lounge.

"What's going on?" Jade asked Tea was sitting on the couch huddled up. "Tea what happened?" Jade asked again. "I swear my eyes must be playing tricks on me but there is a ghost in here" Tea said hugging up a couch pillow for comfort.

"Tea really a ghost I think you're just tired maybe you should go and take a rest" Jade said. "What happened?" everyone asked as they ran into the room.

"It's nothing don't worry. Come on Tea, i'll walk you upstairs" Jade said. Tea stood up and followed her.

"Azriate, Akina will you please go upstairs now everything is fine" Jade said softly. Both animals went up stairs with Tea and Jade folowing behind.

Jade walked Tea to her room and smiled "It's ok Tea, I believe in ghosts too but if there are any Azriate and Akina would sense them. Animals always do sense these other beings way before humans and niether of them are acting oddly. So don't worry if you need anything just call me ok" Jade said. Tea nodded and sat on the bed.

Jade shook her head and walked to one of the locked rooms and opened the door. "Go on Azriate take care of Shiara, and Akina for me please" Jade said smiling as she left the three animals alone in the room. (A/N)

Jade returned downstairs with the others and saw them sitting in the lounge flicking through channels on the tv. They stoped on the weather channel and Jade saw that the storm was most likely the reason everywhere was closed.

"It says that the storm should let up by Sunday and that no one should be outside in this weather" Serenity said "do you mind having us here for a few more days?" Tristen asked "no not at all" Jade said looking outside as the storm continued to grow stronger.

They all jumped when they heard a knock at the door. "Who the hell would be out in this storm?" Joey asked as Jade made her way to the door.

She opened it to see two girls. One of the girls had a hood on covering her face and her bangs fell to cover her eyes. The other girl had long black hair with grey eyes. Both were carying a duffle bag and the one with the hood was carting a bag with a lead guitar and amp. and the other girl held a bag with a keyboard in it.

"Uh hello come in" Jade said confusion written over her face. "Who are those girls?" Bakura asked.

"Sorry to bother you Jade but we were wondering if we could crash here tonight" the girl with the hood asked.

"Uh who are you?" Jade asked "you don't remember me? that hurts so who do you think I am?" she asked. Jade remained silent as she waited for an introduction. The girl pulled up her right sleeve to reveal her wrist.

Jade looked at the wolf and then the thought struck her "Kyrah!" she exclaimed "wow you haven't forgotten me" Kyrah said.

"Who is this?" Jade asked "this is Kaia" Kyrah said.

Kyrah romoved her hood letting her long black hair to fall down her back. "You're soaked" Jade said "no really didn't notice that" Kyrah said in her sarcastic voice.

"Go upstairs and change into some dry clothes we'll talk after" Jade said Kyrah nodded and both her and Kaia went upstairs to change.

A/N: I am going to give a discription of the two animals. I already talked about Akina in the first chapter so here goes.

Azriate: A greyish blackish serpent with golden eyes.

Shiara: A golden hawk with silver eyes.

Sorry about not telling you about them before but it kinda slipped my mind.


	9. Chapter 8: Explainations

Kyrah and Kaia got dressed in similar clothes to the ones they had on before. Kyrah wore a black skater pants with a red serpent on it's right back pocket and a red vest top with a black jacket with a dragon on it's back. Kaia got dressed in grey skater pants and a white vest top.(A/N: everything else is the same as the profile)

The two girls made there wat down stairs to the others. "Wow that was faster than I expected" Jade said "i'm not like you, you know" Kyrah said her black eyes glistening.

"Come sit down" Jade said, Kaia walked over and sat on a chair. "I prefer to stand" Kyrah said leaning against the wall.

"I'd like you to meet my friends" Jade said smiling . Everyone introduced themselves. "It's a pleasure to make your aquaintance" Kyrah said formally.

"So what are you doing here in Domino?" Jade asked "one of the workers somewhere in the valley of the kings was murdered.The thing is his murder wasn't normal.When the his coworkers found his body his internal organs had been removed along with his eyes. All the parts were placed in jars. This was one of the first few steps in preforming mumifucation. I came cause some of the people investigating this case are here and since I know everything there is to know about Egypt they wanted me to check it out" Kyrah said.

"Internal organs?" Joey asked "what you never took human anatomny?" Kyrah asked. Joey remained silent.

"So if you're here for that why did you come here and further more why were you soaked?" Jade asked.

"Kaia and two of the guys that work with me came so that they could run tests for me while i'm working on the case. The guys were in the front seat of my car and then a person walked into the middle of the road and just stoped there. Kyle tried to go around but the tires skided and we crashed the guys are in the hospital. No fatal wounds just minor concusion and a few scratches. The people at the hospital told us we should go somewhere for the night and come back in the morning to check up on them. Seeing as my car was totaled we walked" Kyrah said.

"Why do you have a guitar and Keyboard here?" Jade asked "well all work and no play doesn't suit me" Kyrah said.

A moment later Kyrah's phone rang "I thought it died from getting so damn wet" Kyrah said to herself as she took out the phone.

"Ya" Kyrah said "I got some stuff and I think you should check it out" Kendra said. "Ok send it to me" Kyrah said "already sent" Kendra said. "Right ok see ya and don't let those tomb robers gat anywhere this tomb ok" Kyrah said "you got it" Kendra said.

Kyrah hung up the phone and ran up stairs to get her laptop. She turned it on and went to her pics file and info file to see a few new aditions in both.

Kaia went over to her to look at what was going on. "Who was that?" Jade asked "Kendra one of my workers" Kyrah said as she logged on and opened up the pic that read hyroglphs124.

"Kyrah can you read that?" Kaia asked "ya, it's another ancient form of Egyption not comonly practiced" Kyrah said. "What does it say?" Kaia asked "through the powers of the ancient gods I bind thee. When hell unto earth has struck be they set free" Kyrah said as she typed the translated part on her note book.

"You can read Egyptian?" Atem asked "ya" Kyrah said as she scanned the different pics from the walls. "This makes no sense what so ever" Kyrah said shaking her head in frusration.

"What?" Kaia asked "here it talks about the way this pharoah saved the world from complete distruction then here it says his soul was locked into a golden pyramid for years to come. If his soul was locked away he never truly got to rest which is what those tombs are for. He never got to the after life and should be still..." Kyrah trailed of as she grabbed a pen from her back pocket and started to write on her hand.

When she was done she had an ancient form of Egyptian written on her entire left hand. She then logged on to the internet and looked up research fro previous years. She found the pic she was looking for and the report.

"Hey Kyrah, hello" Kaia said wavng her hand infront of her face. Kyrah ignored it and kept reading over the article and then she finally compared the writing on her hand to that on the other stone tablet that was found in a temple far from the tomb.

"Would you quit it" Kyrah said agitated. "Come on tell me what you found out" Kaia said "the temple in Cairo, this tomb had the exact same markings and scriptures then in the palace ruins from before they have the scriptures on the walls there each the same. The finally in the museum of Egyptian beliefs the same scriptures are written up on a papryus scroll. All these things were from the same era but, never once in any other form of tomb or temple has the same thing been mentioned in every structure from that time period and if you look at the style of archetecture in these places none of them are the same yet they're all from the same era" Kyrah said.

"I think you should take a break of work for a while. You know it would be good if you weren't working on this every second of your life" Kaia said "shut up" Kyrah snapped as she pulled out her cell again.

"Hey Kendra get me the results from the soil sample and send me pictures of the objects in the tomb" Kyrah said "ya i'm on it" Kendra said as they both hung up.

"Now are you going to put the laptop down?" Kaia asked "yes" Kyrah said resting her laptop on a table next to her.

"Sorry about that work comes first" Kyrah said "what are you an expert on Egypt now?" Jade asked smiling "ya I guess so" Kyrah said.

"Kyrah why didn't you ever reply to my letters?" Jade asked "your dad didn't tell you?" Kyrah asked "tell me what?" Jade asked.

"I'll tell you later" Kyrah said "ok" Jade said.

"So how's Azriate behaving good I hope" Kyrah said "ya, do you miss her?" Jade asked "of course I do" Kyrah said "but it's better if she stays here with you" Kyrah said.

Everyone went to the rec room except for Kyrah, Atem, Bakura and Jade.

"Can you tell me now?" Jade asked "I gues. Your dad was upset with me for taking you into that tomb the day before you left. He told me that he didn't want me to talk to you how I was a bad influence and was going to get you killed with one of my excursions. So I just stoped talking to you and didn't reply to your letters. I almost got myself killed a few times so maybe he was right" Kyrah said letting a laugh slip from her normal neutral expression.

"My dad told you that?" Jade asked "ya, no big deal or nothing" Kyrah said. "What the hell does he know he's not even a part of my life" Jade said.

Kyrah looked at her. "Don't ever take your dad for granted he cares for you a lot don't let him make you think other wise ok" Kyrah said. "How do you do that?" Jade asked. "What?" Kyrah asked "you always knew just what to say to keep my faith to stay strong" Jade said.

"Hey i'm always here for you even if you don't think so" Kyrah said "huh?" Jade asked "you know what I told you before you left?" Kyrah asked.

"That no matter how hard things are, all I have to do is close my eyes and return my thoughts to the times that made me happy" Jade said "right never forget ok" Kyrah said.

"Jade can I talk to you for a sec?" Bakura asked standing up. "Ya sure" she replied following him upstairs.

"So Atem or should I say pharoah Atem you enjoy Egypt?" Kyrah asked.


	10. Chapter 9: Garden Conversation

Atem looked at her and his eyes grew wide. Kyrah saw this and stood up walking towards the garden. Atem followed.

"How did you know?" he asked "as soon as I steped into this house I sensed a presance from Egypt. I saw your face and recognized you to be the pharoah of the tomb i'm curently researching. You know your soul will never truly be at peace until you pass on to the after life" Kyrah said sitting under the cherry blossom tree.

"I have things to attend to here" Atem said "that may be true but still to be complete you will need to go on to your next life trust me i've delt with my share of lingering spirits" Kyrah said.

"So I take it you already saved the world from destruction now you are trying to unlock the secrets of your past. Am I right?" Kyrah asked pulling out a small dagger.

"Yes but how did you..." he started "it's simple if you had not saved the world by now you would still be sharing a body with the young boy. Or be banished to the shadow realm" Kyrah said.

"You learned all this from the tomb?" Atem asked "yes and no" Kyrah said "what do you mean?" he asked.

"The stuff I was talking about earlier with Kaia. There are four places three of which are where I work mostly that have the stories of the pharoah on the walls in the tomb behind the chamber where the body is kept there is a trap that takes people down deeper into the earth down there there are several tunnels one of which leads to a chamber which looks like a temple there are more indepth details about the shadow games and the mellenium items" Kyrah said.

"You can read Egyptian right" Atem said "yes" Kyrah replied. "When the rain lets up can you read something for me at the Egyptian exhibition at the museum?" Atem asked "if i'm still around ya" Kyrah said.

"How long have you been in Egypt?" Atem asked trying to strike a more subtle conversation "all my existance" Kyrah said. 'Existance?' Atem wondered 'oh well won't ask about that now.'

Kyrah flipped the small dagger that was in her hand a few times before holding the blade and drawing it against her soft skin.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Atem asked snatching the blade away from her. "Calm down i'm not going to kill myself. I do this all the time it helps me think now give it back" Kyrah said reaching for the blade.

"I don't think so, cutting yourself is no solution" Atem said. "You don't even know me so quit acting like my mother" Kyrah said reaching for the blade again.

Atem grabbed her wrist and she whinced in pain. "What the?" he said more of a statement than a question. He removed the pyramid stud bracelet to see a pyramid tattooed onto her wrist which had been cut up very badly.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you had..." he trailed of Kyrah snatched her wrist away from him and reached for her dagger again.

"Will you stop it you're going to kill yourself if that blade slips" Atem said "and you would care?" Kyrah asked. "Yes" he said "why you don't know me and so what if I know you. it's only because it's my job and I take an intrest in my home that I started to research the temples and stuff completely accidental did I learn about you" she said.

"Really, is that why you just had to look up the information on me after you got the new pictures and info?" he asked smirking "no" Kyrah said "it's my job and work comes first always."

"Come on give me my knife" she said reaching for it again. "I don't think so" he said putting it in his pocket.

"Fine i'll just get my other one" Kyrah said standing up. Atem stood up too and blocked her way. 'Perfect just how I expected him to react' Kyrah thought as she cringed and collapsed to the ground.

"Are you alright?" he asked leaning down to help her up. "I'm fine" Kyrah said atempting to stand and falling back down.

Atem pulled her up and brought her to lean on him. "What's wrong you twist something?" he asked "no" Kyrah said reaching into his pocket and pulling out her knife.

"You can let go of me now i'm fine" Kyrah said as she sat back under the tree and whipped out her knife. "What?" Atem asked "works everytime" Kyrah said allowing a smile to grace her normally neutral face.

"You mean you did that purposley?" he asked "yep" she said "you were very convincing" he said.

"I know. I can almost fake perfectly considering how many times I actually sprain my ankle or wrist" she said softly as the smile faded from her face.

"You smiled that's a first" Atem said laughing. "Ya not really my thing but it happens sometimes" Kyrah said standing up after cutting another line into her skin.

"I really wish you would find an alternative way to deal with stress and to help you think" Atem said his eyes lingering on the blood dripping from her wrist and palm.

Kyrah walked infront of him and bowed "maybe i'll think about it paharoah" she finished as she walked past him.

'Did she just bow to me?' Atem thought stunned at her.


	11. Chapter 10: Breathing

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Jade asked after a long moment of silence.

Bakura looked at her and smiled. He leaned in and pressed his lips gently against hers. Jade was shocked but then deepened the kiss as pleasure filled both of them.

When they broke apart both of their cheeks turned red.

"Bakura..." Jade srarted but couldn't find the words to say. "I'm sorry I shouln't have..." he was cut of by Jade's lips.

After they broke apart Bakura said "well that went better than I expected." Jade gave a light laugh as she hugged him.

Kyrah sat down on the couch and flipped open her laptop. Atem walked in and sat down beside her.

"Mind if I watch?" he asked "no you may do as you please pharoah" Kyrah said as she opened the new file with the results from the soil sample. She compared the new results with the results of those from the other places.

"All the same" she said to herself. She then opened the files of the treasures in the tomb and commpared the types of pottery to those that were found in the palace and temple.

"Everything is the same except for the archietecture" she said softly trying to make sense of her new information. Atem just sat quietly while he watched her work.

"You must have been a great pharoah by the way the scriptures speak of you" Kyrah said absent mindly as she continues scanning her previous research to that of her newest trying to come up with an explaination to the archetectural differances.

"I don't remember, but i'll take your word for it" Atem said.

Kyrah was getting annoyed with the fact that she couldn't find the reason for the differences in the structures. 'I know everything there is to know about Egypt and most other places, why can't I find out why the structures are different' she thought to herself.

Kyrah pulled out her knife while she was searching for information that could help her. Atem saw the blade as she opened it. She removed the pyramid stud bracelet and drew a line into her soft skin. She then put the knife away.

Kyrah started to search for more information when a box apeared on the screan saying 'you have 1 new message.' Kyrah opened the letter.

Hey, Kyrah

I miss you a lot when are you coming to visit me? I'm in the amazon this week and it's so damn rainy. Guess that's why theu call it a rainforest right. So how's Egypt find anything new? I got to get going now sorry for not writing a lot this time but it's really busy. Ok well i'll see you whenever. Looking forward to your reply. Love ya lots.

Zane.

"Well now been a long time since he's written me" Kyrah said smiling. Atem just looked at the note in silence. Kyrah clicked reply and started to write.

Hey, Zane

I miss you a lot too. I don't think i'll be visiting anytime soon I have lots of work to do as well. The amazon? are the temple ruins there as fun as the tombs in Egypt? doubt it. Egypt is great. I'm curently in Domino city helping investigate a murder that happened in the valley of the kings. It's alright we'll talk some more another time. I'll see you whenever. Looking forward to your reply as always. I love you and take care.

Kyrah

Kyrah clicked send and then started to look through her research again.

"Is that you're boy friend?" Atem asked Kyrah looked at him like he was crazy. "No that's my younger cousin he's two years younger than me and is an expert on the rainforest" Kyrah said.

Atem looked at her as she continued to look through her research. "I'm stumped i'm going to have to go back to Egypt sonner than I thought" Kyrah said softly.

"You should take a rest from all this work" Atem said "I have to finish this new report by tomorrow morning and send it to Kendra" Kyrah said. "Take a break you need it" Atem said.

"Can you leave me alone for a bit please?" Kyrah said softly. "Yes" Atem said standing up and walking to the rec room. 'Finally time to think' Kyrah thought sighing.

Kyrah typed for a few hours and then sent it to Kendra. "I'm finally done" she said softly to herself.

"Hey" Jade said walking into the lounge. Kyrah looked over to her "hey" she said softly. "Mostly everyone is asleep you should get some rest too" Jade said. "I'm fine. So who's still awake?" Kyrah asked "you, me, Atem and Bakura. Tea is up too but she's upstairs" Jade replied.

Kyrah stood up still holding her now closed laptop. "I'm sorry for not keeping in touch with you" Kyrah said. "It's ok I know how my dad is" Jade said. Kyrah nodded and let out a sigh.

"It's been a long time since you heard me play the guitar" Kyrah said. Jade looked at her her eyes sparkling with hope. "Does that mean you'll play for me now?" Jade asked. "Maybe" Kyrah said smiling.

"Please?" Jade begged. Kyrah ran up the stairs and put her laptop down. She grabbed her guitar and amplifier and ran down to the lounge where Jade was waiting for her.

"Let's go outside to the garden so that we don't wake the others" Kyrah said. Jade nodded and the two went outside.

Kyrah hooked up her amp and guitar. She then played a count in beat and started to play. She soon started to sing. (A/N)

"Eyes are feeling heavy but they never seem to close

The fan blades on the ceiling spin but the air is never cold

And even though you're next to me I still feel so alone

I just can't give you anything for you to call your own"

Kyrah sang bringing her heart into the music. 'This is the only thing I do for fun it doesn't matter if my bad is with me or not I can get through this if only to make Jade smile' Kyrah thought.

"And I can feel you breathing and it's keeping me awake

Can you feel it beating my heart sinking like a weight"

Atem and Bakura heard music and singing. They walked out to the garden to see Kyrah and Jade. Jade motioned for them to sit down.

'Ok keep your breathing controled. This is the only way I have ever expressed myself. I'm not letting it stop now' Kyrah though as she let her soul fill her music.

"Something i've been keeping locked away behind my lips

I can feel it breaking free with each and every kiss

I couldn't bare to hurt you but it's all so different now

Things that I was sure of they have filled me up with doubt"

Atem and bakura sat next to Jade and watched Kyrah as she played.

"And I can feel you breathing and it's keeping me awake

Can you feel it beating my heart sinking like a weight"

Kyrah sang with a deep passion and allowed her own emotions to flow into her words.

"I can feel you breathing, it's keeping me awake

Could you stop my heart it's always

Beating, sinking like a weight"

Kyrah sang as she played her guitar filling the room with the heartfelt music.

"How am I supposed to feel about the things i've done

I don't know if I should stay or turn around and run

I know that I hurt you things will never be the same

The only love I ever knew I threw it all away"

'Ok almost done' Kyrah thought.

"And I can feel you breathing and it's keeping me awake

Can you feel it beating my heart sinking like a weight"

'Last verse' Kyrah thought.

"I can feel you breathing, it's keeping me awake

Could you stop my heart it's always

Beating, sinking like a weight"

Kyrah finished the song and then looked down to the ground. 'Shit my wrist is hurting I usually don't play right after cutting myself' she thought.

"You got so much better!" Jade said smiling "thanks" Kyrah said her voice low and her bangs covered her eyes.

"You are very talanted" Bakura said Jade nodded. "Are you ok?" Jade asked "ya i'm fine" Kyrah said.

"Come Bakura I want to show you the maze" Jade said smiling as she dragged Bakura of.

Kyrah let her guitar fall from her hands and it just hung from her neck. Her bangs were still covering her face.

Atem stood up and walked over to Kyrah. "What's wrong?" he asked "nothing" Kyrah said. He lifted the guitar over her head and placed it on the ground next to the amp.

Dispite her efforts to ignore the pain in her wrist her eyes glistened from the tears of pain she was holding back.

Atem lifted her face and brushed her hair back and looked into her glistening eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked "my wrist hurts a bit that's all" she said letting her gaze fall to the ground.

Atem led her over to the cherry blossom tree and had her sit down. "Let me see" he said "it's nothing really" she said her gaze never leaving the ground.

Atem took her hand in his and removed the bracelet and looked at the blood flowing from the cuts. "You cut to deep?" he asked "no it's just that I don't usually play after cutting myself" she said softly barely above a whisper.

"Does it hurt that much?" he asked "what?" Kyrah asked not understanding the question. "Your holding back tears" he said "no it's just, that song reminds me of something that wasn't the best time of my life" Kyrah said.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked "it's ok i'm fine that was a long time ago it doesn't matter" she said as her tears started to stream down her face.

Atem pulled her towards him and held her in a comforting embrace.

A/N: The song I used in this chapter is called Breathing and it's by Yellow Card.


	12. Chapter 11: Heartbreak and a Curse

Jade had not placed her hand on the maze wall she wanted to get lost with him so they could talk.

Kyrah let her tears fall but she had the urge to play another song. She felt like she had to.

"It's ok i'm fine" Kyrah said speaking through tears. She moved away from Atem and picked up her guitar and started to play. (A/N)

"Sew this up with threads of reason and regret

So I will not forget, I will not forget

How this felt one year six months ago I know

I cannot forget, I cannot forget"

Kyrah shook her hair so it covered her face.

"I'm falling into memories of you

Things we used to do

Follow me there a beautiful somewhere

A place that I can share with you"

'He caused me pain yet I still can't forget him. I wish hee hadn't done that to me' Kyrah thought.

"I can tell that you don't know me anymore

It's easy to forget sometimes we just forget

Being on this road is anything but sure

Maybe we'll forget I hope we don't forget"

'I'm living in a world of pain now' Kyrah thought as she sang.

"I'm falling into memories of you

Things we used to do

Follow me there a beautiful somewhere

A place that I can share with you"

'I wish I could forget him' Kyrah thought the pain in her heart stinging her soul.

"So many nights

Legs tangled tight

Wrap me up in a dream with you

Close up these eyes

Try not to cry

All that I got to pull me through

Is memories of you"

'I should make this sound more betraying but I can't' Kyrah thought her pain flowing through her mind body and soul.

"I'm falling into memories of you

Things we used to do

Follow me there a beautiful somewhere

A place we can share"

'He betrayed me and I still can't talk about him badly' Kyrah thought.

"Falling into memories of you

Things we used to do"

Kyrah finished the song her tears increasing. 'Damn him why did he have to do that to me' Kyrah thought.

Atem looked at her with worry evident in his eyes as he stood up and walked towards her.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly as tears continued to stream down her face. "She nodded as she started to play another song. (A/N)

"I think i'm breaking out

I'm gonna leave you now

There's nothing for me here it's all the same

And even thoughI know

That everything might go

Go downhill from here i'm not afraid"

'I wonder if he remembers me breaking it off with him like this' Kyrah thought.

"Way away away from here i'll be

Way away away so you can see

How it feels to be alone and not believe

Anything"

'He probably didn't care anyway' Kyrah thought.

"You can't stop me now

You can't hold me down

You can't keep me here i'm on my way

I made it this far now

And i'm not burning out

No matter what you say i'm not afraid"

'I was just another one of his knock around bitches' Kyrah thought her anger and pain causing her emotions to sting her heart.

"Way away away from here i'll be

Way away away so you can see

How it feels to be alone and not believe

Anything"

'Fuck him it's over why do I even care' Kyrah thought pain coursing through her mind.

"Letting out the noise inside of me

Every window pane is shattering

Cutting up my words before I speak

This is how it feels to not believe"

'I have to forget about him' Kyrah thought.

"Way away away from here i'll be

Way away away so you can see

How it feels to be alone and not believe

Anything"

'But he hurt me so bad, it's hard' Kyrah thought.

'Something is eating her up inside but she won't let it out' Atem thought as he moved closer to her.

"Tell me what's hurting you" Atem said "i'm fine" Kyrah said. "You're not fine you're going to make yourself sick if you keep it locked up inside" Atem said.

"Bakura I think we're lost" Jade said softly as a smile crossed her face. "Yes it apears so" Bakura said.

"About earlier" Jade started "ya" Bakura said blushing slightly. "Why did you kiss me?" Jade asked "I feel like I know you in my heart and I felt this urge come over me so I did" Bakura said.

Jade leaned into him and kissed him lightly as she was pullling away he gripped her and held her against him as he deepened the kiss.

When the finally broke apart they were gasping for air. "Come this way" Jade said pulling him with her as she went deeper into the maze.

She stoped when they got to the center of it. "Wow" he said looking around.

There was a fountain with crystal clear water cascading down it's sides. A white marble bench stood infront of it.

Jade sat down on the bench, he followed and sat beside her.

"It's nothing really" Kyrah said dropping her guitar to the ground as her knees buckled taking her to the ground.

Her tears continued to flow down her soft cheeks, her bangs hung now wet with her grief.

Atem went over and encircled her in his arms. He brushed her hair out of her face and took her over and sat down under the cherry blossom tree. She couldn't believe that all those years she had spent trying to forget him wasn't enough.

"He hurt me badly" Kyrah whispered out through her tears. "Who?" Atem asked as he held her. "A guy I knew" she sad enjoying the comfort he was providing.

"Who was he?" Atem asked "my boy friend" Kyrah said softly "but to him I was just another bitch to have his fun with."

Atem looked down at her. She kept crying and looked up through her tears to see Atem's understanding face and she buried her face in his chest.

"What did he do to you?" Atem asked. Kyrah's tears slowed from her being soothed and comforted by Atem. "We were together for about a year. We were always enjoying each others company when we were together. Everytime he tried to go to far and I stoped him. Everything seemed to be fine until he tried to force himself unto me" Kyrah paused as tears started to stream down her face heavier.

Atem looked at her with deep concern. "I shoved him of and ran away. The next day he acted like nothing had happened. Later that day he took me to a bar and a girl walked up to him completely ignored me standing there and started to make out with him. I was to say the least shocked and hurt. After the girl said she had to go and he grabbed my hand and took me to a table at the back of the club and he sat me down. He tried to come onto me again. I couldn't believe what was happening he just made out with some girl and then tried to have sex with me. I shoved him away and asked him what he thought he was doing" Kyrah paused.

"He just smiled and said that I probably wanted to kill him now and he was right. I started to get up and tried to leave but he followed me and slamed me into the side of the building. He was a fuckin liar and I told him that. He smiled and said that's what all the girls say like it was funny. I slaped him and ran to my place. The next day he acted as if everything was normal. I don't know what he thought he was doing but I decided that if he didn't guess it was over I would break it off" Kyrah said leaning into Atem's arms.

"The song I just played was what I did to break it off with him. I still can't believe after a whole year he had been doing this behind my back. But i'm not just a fuckin bitch that he could have any time he wanted he just didn't get it. After about a month he finally left me alone after leaving a note with me" Kyrah said.

"What did it say?" Atem asked "it said and I qoute. I swear you'll always love me and you know it" Kyrah said "and how do you feel about him now?" Atem asked "I hate him for putting me through that shit. But I can't forget him" Kyrah said.

"Since then I swore to myself that I'd never get that worked up over a guy or dwell in the past but it's all part of my curse" Kyrah said.

"Curse?" Atem asked. Kyrah moved out of his arms and took of her jacket to show him the markings on her arm.

Atem traced the markings with his fingers and asked what they said. "I can't tell you" Kyrah said "why?" he asked. "Somethings are better of unsaid" Kyrah said as another marking apeared on her skin.

Atem looked at her "it get's worse everyday. I don't know how to get rid of it. My cousin has the same the same thing on his arm. My friend Kendra has it on her arm as well. It's one of the things i've been researching" Kyrah said.

"So everyday another charachter apears on your arm?" Atem asked "yes it reveals more of the curse everyday. I know what it says but It just stops so I have no idea what to look for" Kyrah said.

Atem pulled her into an embrace causing her to blush.

"May I?" he asked lifting her face so that they were mere iches apart. Kyrah blushed a deep crimson red and allowed him to get closer to her.

He pressed his lips against hers. A shock of ecstasy coursed through her veins. 'Damn it I knoe part of the curse is lsut but i've been in complete control of myself but now I can feel my lustful cursed emotion trying to overtake my body.

"Bakura" Jade said softly as she felt his hand trail up and down her spine. He pulled her into another passionate kiss.

A/N: The first song I used in this fic is called One Year, Six Months and the second song is called Way Away. Both songs are by Yellow Card.


	13. Chapter 12: A Good Start

Bakure put his arms around Jade and kissed her deeply. She leaned in deepening the kiss causing Bakura to fall backwards. He pulled her down on top of him. She laughed lightly and leaned in kissing him again.

Jade slid her hands under Bakura's shirt. He allowed her to explore his chest, arms and back. Her light touches caused so many sensations to course through his body.

Bakura grabbed her hands and sat up. "Please stop we should go back to Atem and Kyrah now" he said. "Why?" Jade asked.

Bakura leaned in and kissed her. "Because i'm a gentleman and I can't trust myself to be one too much longer" he said smiling. "Maybe I don't want you to trust yourself" Jade said boldly letting her heart do the talking.

"We haven't know each other that long and we should take it slow. Another time" he said softly.

"I admire your honour" Jade said smiling. "When we do get to that stage, I want to make it count" Bakura said "and it will only count if we wait."

Jade trapped him in an embrace. "Thank you Bakura. You're a great guy and for being not much older than me you are very wise" Jade said smiling as the two stood up and started throught the maze again.

Kyrah deepened the kiss and then they broke apart. "Thank you for listening to me pharoah" Kyrah said softly. "Anytime something is bothering you don't hesitate to come to me" Atem said. Kyrah leaned in and kissed him lightly.

Atem enjoyed the sensation of her soft lips against his. She pulled away and then stood up walking towards her guitar. She picked it up and tunned it and got ready to play. The first time was for her friend the other time was for her and now this was for him. (A/N)

"How can you see into my eyes like open doors

Leading you down into my core

Where i've become so numb without a soul

My spirit sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and lead it back home"

Kyrah sang bringing all her heart into her music.

"Wake me up inside

Wake me up inside

Call my name and save me from the dark

Bid my blood to run before I come undone

Save me from the nothing i've become"

Her words blending with her soul.

"Now that I know what i'm without

You can't just leave me

Breathe into me and make me real

Bring me to life"

'Her voice is so sweet' Atem thought enjoying every second of her singing.

"Wake me up inside

Wake me up inside

Call my name and save me from the dark

Bid my blood to run before I come undone

Save me from the nothing i've become"

"Do you hear singing?" Jade asked "ya" Bakura answered as they picked up the pace.

"Froze inside without your touch without your love

Darling only you are the life among the dead"

"We're almost out" Jade said as they walked quickly.

"All this time I can't believe I couldn't see

Kept in the dark but you were there infront of me

I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems

Got to open my eyes to everything

Without a thought without a voice without a soul

Don't let me die here there must be something more

Bring me to life"

Kyrah finished her song. Atem clapped and gave her a hug. Bakura and Jade got out of the maze just in time to see the two embrace.

"They seem to be hitting it of well" Jade said smiling "ya" Bakura agreed smirking.

Atem placed a kiss on Kyrah's lips which caused both Bakura and Jade's jaws to drop.

"Well that was a surprise maybe we shouldn't bother them" Bakura said. "Shh they're talking" Jade said. "So now we're spying on them?" Bakura asked a playful smile on his face. "I said to be quiet" Jade said as she strained to hear what they were saying.

"Thank you pharoah you've lifted a great weight of my shoulders" Kyrah said fighting the lust in her mind.

"Please just call me Atem" he said hugging her. "Maybe in time pharoah" Kyrah said playfully as she flashed a smile, she then regained her compusure.

"Are you always so in control?" Atem asked "maybe" Kyrah said as her face returned to it's normal neutral emotionless mask.

"You look so cute when you smile you should do it more often" Atem said "no thanks, I like the way my neutral expression hides everything" Kyrah said softly in almost an inaudible volume. "Why is that?" Atem asked "I don't get hurt as easily" Kyrah said.

She turned from him and gathered her equipment. "Tomorrow when I have Kaia here to play keyboard with me the music will sound much better" Kyrah said. Atem smiled at the implied invite.

Kyrah walked to the door and turned flashing an sweet and at the same time sexy smile at Atem. "Good night pharoah" she said as she turned the smile fading from her face as she entered the house leaving Atem in awe at her beauty and elagance.

"Hey Atem" Jade called as she pulled Bakura along with her. Atem turned and looked in their direction. "Hello" he said looking at Bakura who was panting from being dragged around in the bushes.

"Where did Kyrah go?" Jade asked "to sleep presumably" Atem said. "Kyrah sleep ha" Jade said "she may have acted like it but she never sleeps in a new place the first night or so. She doesn't trust her suroundings at all she feels more comfortable in thousands of year old tombs deep into the ground where she could get trapped in one of the chambers and die" Jade said.

Both boys looked at her with a questioning look. "When we were younger she spent more time in those tombs than she did at her house. The weird thing is she seems to know her way around the tombs better than she knows her way around the city in Cairo" Jade said.

Both boys still looked at her with a questioning look. "The tomb we went in before I left the nexy day, it was her first time going into it but she seemed to know exactly where she was going as if she'd been in it many times before. The same with some of the temples and palaces and other structures she's been in" Jade said.

Both boys looked at her with a blank expression. "You should ask her about some of the times i'm not really sure of all the facts but she has a great memory so she would have more information for you. Let's go find her i'd love to hear some stuff about the temples and tombs seeing as I don't think i'll be seeing any of them anytime soon" Jade said running into the house with Bakura and Atem following.

"Ok now where would she be?" Jade asked herself as she glanced around the lounge. They heard faint singing coming from upstairs.

"Well I would guess that's her" Jade said as they went upstairs.

"I'm so tired of being here

Surpressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

Because your presance still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone"

Kyrah had passed by Kaia's room and she happened to be awake. Kaia wanted to play her keyboard so Kyrah agreed to practice a song with her that was quiet and wouldn't wake anyone. (A/N)

"These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just to real

There's just to much that time cannot erase"

Kyrah sang one of her oldest songs softly.

"When you cried i'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream i'd fight away all of your fears

And i've held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me"

'This must be one of my favorite songs' Kyrah thought.

"You used to captivate me

By your resonating light

But now i'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face it haunts my once pleasent dreams

Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me"

'I remember the last time I sang this' Kyrah thought.

"These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just to real

There's just to much that time cannot erase"

Jade, Atem and bakura stoped right outside of the door and listened to the singing.

"When you cried i'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream i'd fight away all of your fears

And i've held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me"

'It was such a long time ago yet the memory is so fresh in my mind' Kyrah thought.

"I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

And though you're still with me

I've been alone all along"

'Years ago and still it makes me feel the same way it did then' Kyrah thought.

"When you cried i'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream i'd fight away all of your fears

And i've held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me"

Kyrah finished the song and Kaia smiled "you haven't lost your touch after what fourteen or was it fifteen years?" she asked. "Almost next month it'll be fifteen" Kyrah said.

"What are they talking about? I've never heard Kyrah sing this song and we hung out a lot then too" Jade said softly as she considered why she had never heard this song.

A/N: First song was Bring Me To Life and the second was My Immortal both of which are by Evanescence.

If anyone reading this has a request for a song for me to put into this story please tell me and i'll see if it fits any of the places Kyrah sings by herself or with her band. But I can't be sure if i'll include it in the story. I have a certain taste for music and some of it just doesn't apeal to me very much.

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed my story so far.


	14. Chapter 13: Threat From The Undead

"Do you miss them?" Kaia asked "no not one bit, my past is behind me and that's where it's gonna stay" Kyrah siad softly.

"So how's Zane?" Kaia asked "he's fine, in the amazon this week" Kyrah said "really? I wish I could visit I love all the plants in the rainforest and all the animals too" Kaia said.

"Then go" Kyrah said "what?" Kaia asked in disbelief at what she was hearing. "I'm not going to stop you and you could use a vacation especially from the hot sun" Kyrah said. "I can't leave you you're the one who got me employed. If it weren't for you then i'd still be working at that night club in Cairo" Kaia said.

"Well then if you owe me so much go to the amazon stay with Zane and keep him out of trouble then come back after you've had a rest" Kyrah said blankly.

"I'm not going to leave you that curse is getting worse and if I leave and something happens to you I won't be able to live with myself" Kaia said. "Don't be an idiot you know it's not your fault I should have been more careful that's all" Kyrah said.

"Zane doesn't have it as bad as you neither does Kendra. Both their arms are only half full of the writing and your arm is almost completely full" Kaia said. "I know that and I know the entire curse too it's hard to explain but in the temple of Anubis I saw the curse on the wall I didn't know what it was until I checked up on the history. I'm not really sure what the conection is though so I can't look into it more but i'm looking. Don't worry about me ok i'll be fine i've been through tougher situations than this" Kyrah said.

"Fine but i'm not going to the amazon at least not anytime soon" Kaia said "ok" Kyrah siad now get some rest you need it tomorrow we're gonna go check on the guys then we're going to go and investigate this murser I have a feeling it's not a normal lunatic doing this before I got of work I saw an article on the net and there was another murder in the same way a day ago" Kyrah said.

"What?!" Kaia asked her eyes growing wide. "I'm worried about Kendra though" Kyrah said. "She could be in danger" Kaia said.

"I'm not quite sure about that yet" Kyrah said. "What do you mean?" Kaia asked "I hacked the police reports on the victims and..." Kyrah started but was cut of "you hacked I can't believe you did that you have like no regards for top secret files do you?" Kaia asked "you're one to talk" Kyrah said dully.

"Hey that's completely different, hacking into the egyptian museums data feild is completely different. Besides that bitch wasn't giving us all the information she had" Kaia said.

"Oh i'm so sure it's completely different, and you say i'm the one who has rule breaking issues" Kyrah said sarcastically.

"You know that there are three people outside listening to us" Kyrah said leaning in and whispering it at an almost inaudible volume. Kaia started laughing.

"I can't hear what they're saying" Jade whispered. "So you guys how long are you going to stand out there before you decide to come in?" Kyrah asked the closed door and heard a thump.

Jade opened the door her face crimson. "You knew we were out there the whole time and you didn't say anything?" Jade asked in an upset tone. "Ya, I figured you would have come in by now though" Kyrah said her face still remaining in it's emotional mask.

Kyrah stood up and waved to Kaia "go to sleep you need your rest" Kyrah said closing the door behind her as she shoved Jade out of the room.

The guys were standing at the edge of the steps looking at Jade who was curently pouting after Kyrah had told her she wasn't going to tell her about Egypt.

"You are pathetic" Kyrah said walking past her into her room and coming out with her laptop. Kyrah had left her guitar and amp. infront of Kaia's door.

"Are you going to sit there and pout until I change my mind?" Kyrah asked "yes" Jade said stubornly "ok so if I visit in the next two years or so i'll know exactly where to find you" Kyrah said.

"What you mean you really won't tell me?" Jade asked "didn't I already say that?" Kyrah asked "but you have to tell me i'm dying to know" Jade said.

"Ok i'll be downstairs digging your grave where do you want it under the cherry blossom tree? somewhere in the maze? or I don't know maybe under the floor boards?" Kyrah asked.

Jade looked at her with a death gaze. Kyrah looked at Jade her black eyes showing a flicker of red, while her face remained in it's neutral in emotional mask.

Jade shuddered "I hate it when you do that." Kyrah shrugged as she sat on the steps opening her laptop. "What are you going to do?" Bakura asked "hack the police reports on the victims and witnesses" Kyrah said.

"What?" Jade asked running over and sitting next to her. "I thought you were going to sit and pout over there" Kyrah said as she started with her hacking proceedure.

"Uh not to be to inquisitive but you don't care if they find out you hacked the files?" Bakura asked "why should I they can't do anything to me for finding out the truth of what happend if i'm going to help then i'm going to need the information anyway and I can't wait till tomorrow and anyway I..." Kyrah trailed of as she saw a box pop up on her screen saying 'you have one new message in your inbox.'

Kyrah opened the box and the email said. 'Stay out of this I don't want to kill you too'

"Well that's interesting" Kyrah said "aren't you in the least bit worried and what is the person talking about?" Jade asked.

"The case and why should I be worried?" Kyrah said. clicking the reply button.

'Whoever you are I could care less what you say so bring it on.'

Atem and Bakura looked at her like she had lost her mind. " You never were one to turn down a challenge" Jade said as she saw her send the message.

"Nope so why should I start now" Kyrah said. "What if they come here?" Jade asked "they most likely won't with a serpent in the house. I have a pretty good idea of who is doing this" Kyrah said.

"That's one of the reasons I sent Azriate here to live with you. The undead tend not to hang around snakes, scorpians or cats" Kyrah said.

"The undead?" Jade asked "ya you know they're kinda like zombies but in this case the spirits of the person can't be at peace for whatever reason and come back from the dead into their bodies and preform rituals to become alive again" Kyrah said as if it was obvious.

"You mean a dead guy is threatening you?" Jade asked "most likely it's the person he's posessed. I should ask one of my contacts in Crete she know's more about the posession stuff than I do. Considering I've only delt with spirits not spirits who've reentered they're bodies but I think I know how to get rid of them. But then again I could be wrond and it is just some lunatic who is doing this" Kyrah said.

"And in percentage what's the chance of you being wrong?" Jade asked "slim to none maybe two percent or less" Kyrah said.

"Kyrah I know who it is!" Kaia said rushing out of her room scaring Jade. "Ya who?" Kyrah asked "that theif or tomb robber or whatever he was. He was juged without trial and was fed to Ammit" Kaia said.

"When did you start to read my work, you never do" Kyrah said "I was borde and had nothing better to do" Kaia said.

"Thanks a lot that makes me fell so much better about myself" Kyrah said sarcastically.

"But you do know who i'm talking about right? I don't know his name or anything like that I skipped most of the details" Kaia said.

"Ya I know what you're talking about but what makes you think it's him?" Kyrah asked "don't you read your own work?" Kaia asked. "Of course I do" Kyrah said dully "well obviouly not enough" Kaia said "you are so one to talk at least I read my work unlike you. You help do the research but you never read anything on it" Kyrah said.

"Uh who was this theif?" Atem asked. "Long story i'll tell you downstairs cause I don't want to wake the others, and I know for a fact that Jade is going to be full of questions" Kyrah said.

They all followed her down stairs into the lounge and sat down.

"Well tell us already" Jade said "Ok" Kyrah said.

A/N: If you don't know who Ammit (Ammut/Ahemait) is you'll find out in the next chapter.


	15. Egypt Info On The GodsGoddesses

A/N: Here is the the information on the gods and goddesses of Egypt.

**Ra**: the sun god of Annu (Heliopolis, near modern-day Cairo), he became a state deity in the Fifth Dynasty. Some traditions made him the creator of men, and the Egyptians called themselves "the cattle of Ra".

His name is thought to mean "creative power", and as a proper name "Creator". Very early in Egyptian history, Ra was identified with Horus, who as a falcon-god represented the loftiness of the skies. He was represented as a hawk-headed man or as a hawk. A combination of the two, Ra-Hoor-Khuit, "Ra, who is Horus of the Horizons" showed the two as manifestations of the singular Solar Force.

Re was the father of Shu and Tefnut, grandfather of Nut and Geb, great-grandfather of Osiris, Seth, Isis, Nephthys and great-great-grandfather of Horus.

Seeing as that the sun was a fire, the Egyptians believed that in order to travel through the waters of heaven and the underworld, one required a boat and so Re traveled in one. In the day, the boat was a great galley known as "Madjet" ("becoming strong") that rose in the east from behind "Manu" the mountain of sunrise and passed between two sycamores. As the sun set the boat Re used was a small barge called "Semektet" ("becoming weak").

The course that the boat took was determined by the goddess Ma'at. During his travels he had plenty of company. Several gods took the journey with him and their job was to help navigate the boat and thus make it's passage successful. Thoth and Ma'at stood on either side of Horus, who steered the boat and was also apparently the captain of the ship. In front of the boat swam two pilot fishes known as "Abtu" and "Ant". Other passengers include: Geb, Hu, Sia

(intelligence) and Hike (magic). At night the god Upuaut (the Opener of Ways) stood a the prow.

The journey was not an easy one though. Monsters would constantly try to stop the boat. Among these were Sebau, Nak, and Apep. Apep was the most powerful of these. He was a personification of darkness and Ra had to fight him successfully every morning before he could rise from the east. Apep was pictured as a serpent or as a crocodile. Alternately, either Thoth or Seth defended the barque against him. When Apep was successful, stormy weather would ensue. A solar eclipse occurred when Apep actually swallowed the barque. There was a book written about Apep called _The Book of Overthrowing Apep_ which gives spells and information on how to defeat him. These spells were recited daily in the temple of Amon-Ra in Thebes.

In later periods when Isis and Osiris overtook him in popularity, he remained "Ra retjer-aa neb-pet" ("Ra, the great God, Lord of Heaven") whether worshipped in his own right or later on, as half the Lord of the Universe, Amon-Ra.

**Ammit**: was a creature which dwelled in the Hall of Ma'at awaiting the judgement of the deceased that passed through there. Those souls who were found unworthy to dwell in the Afterlife were devoured by her. The process of judgement involved the weighing of the deceased person's heart against the feather of Ma'at. If the heart (the seat of the soul, according to the ancient Egyptians) was found to be heavy with sin and impurities and did not balance with the feather, Ammut would devour them.

The goddess was depicted with the head of a crocodile, the forequarters of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus.

**Sekhamet**: was the lioness-headed goddess of war and destruction. She was the sister and wife of Ptah. She was created by the fire of Ra's eye. Ra created her as a weapon of vengence to destroy men for their wicked ways and disobedience to him.

Having once unleashed her powers for the destruction of mankind, the Egyptians feared a repeat performance by Sekhmet. The Egyptian people developed an elaborate ritual in hopes she could be appeased. This ritual revolved around more than 700 statues of the goddess (such as the one to the left). The ancient Egyptian priests were required to perform a ritual before a different one of these statues each morning and each afternoon of every single day of every single year. Only by the strictest adherence to this never-ending ritual could the ancient Egyptians be assured of their ability to placate Sekhmet.

She is generally portrayed as a woman with the head of a lioness surmounted by the solar disk and the uraeus. The name "Sekhmet" comes from the root _sekhem_ which means "to be strong, mighty, violent".

She was identified with the goddess Bastet, and they were called the Goddesses of the West (Sekhmet) and the East (Bastet). Both were shown with the heads of lionesses although Bastet was said to wear green, while Sekhmet wore red.

**Nun**: despite all the various Creation myths that the Egyptians subscribed to, they had one thing in common, Nun. Even though the myths named different gods as the original creator, they all agreed that he sprang from Nun, the primordial waters. Nun was more than an ocean, he was a limitless expanse of motionless water. Even after the world was created, Nun continued to exist at it's margins and would one day return to destroy it and begin the cycle again.

Following the creation, Nun played a role in the destruction of mankind when humans no longer respected and obeyed Ra in his old age. Ra called together all the gods and goddesses

together, including Nun, and asked them what he should do about the problem. Nun suggested that Re should call forth his Eye to destroy mankind. Re did so, and his Eye, in the form of the goddess Sekhmet traveled across Egypt killing all men. Also, Nun protected Shu and Tefnuut at birth and he kept the demonic powers of chaos (represented as serpents) in check.

Nun was portrayed as a bearded man with a blue or green body, symbolizing water and fertility. Sometimes he is shown with female breasts as well. In one hand he holds a palm frond, a symbol of long life and wears another one in his hair.

**Shu**: his name means "dry, parched, withered." He was asssociated with the heat of the sunlight and the dryness of the air. Shu considered the god of the space and light between the sky and the earth. Shu was believed to also hold power over snakes and he was the one that held the Ladder the deceased used to climb to heaven.

As Lord of the Air or Atmosphere, it was Shu's duty to seperate the sky (the goddess Nut) and the earth (Nut's husband, Geb). His eternal occupation was holding Nut up above Geb. It was said that if he ever was removed from his place, Chaos would come to the Universe. Many images show him holding up his daughter, while his son reclines beneath him.

He was the brother and husband of Tefnut and they were usually mentioned together. It was said that Shu and Tefnut were two parts of one soul. Oddly, Shu and Tefnut do not appear to have any city or district especially dedicated to them. Shu was also the son of Ra or Tem and father to Geb and Nut.

The oldest myth about the origin of Shu states that once upon a time the god Atum went to the city of Annu and he created Shu and Tefnut from his own body through masterbration. In the story of the creation, Atum is described as saying: "I had union with my hand, and I embraced my shadow in a love embrace; I poured seed into my own mouth and I sent forth from myself issue in the form of the gods Shu and Tefnut"

Later myths called this story into doubt and claimed that Atum's shadow acted the part of his wife; still others state that the goddess Iusaaset was Atum's wife.

Shu is shown as a man who wears on his head one to four feathers. Some figurines show him holding up the sky with his two hands.

**Tefnut**: the goddess' name is related to the root _tef_, "to spit, be moist" and _nu_, "sky, waters". Appropriately, she was the personification of the moisture of the sky. Tefnut was the counterpart to Shu and the mother of Geb and Nut.

Tefnut and her husband Shu were the children of Atum who created them by masturbating. When Atum became associated with Ra, Ra became Tefnut's father. According to one myth, Tefnut became angry with her father Ra and ran off to Nubia. The god Thoth went to find her and conjoled her into returning to Egypt.

Tefnut was depicted in the form of a woman who wears on her head the solar disk circled by two cobras. She holds in her hands the sceptre and _ankh_. Many times she has the head of a lioness or is shown as one.

**Geb**: he was the son of Shu and Tefnut and the brother and husband of Nut. Through Nut he had four children, Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nyphthys.

Geb was the god of the earth. Even so, Geb guided the dead to heaven and he gave them meat and drink. It is interesting to note that while in most cultures the deitey associated with the earth and it's bounty is a woman ("Mother Earth", Demeter of the Greeks, etc...), the Egyptians chose a male for this role. Anyway.

A Late Period stele, the Phakussa stele, tells how Geb fell in love with his mother, Tefnut. He pined for her and traveled throughout Egypt until his father Shu, who was the king of Egypt, died. On that day, Geb went to his father's palace in Memphis and found Tefnut. He took his mother and violently raped her. It seems that he was not punished for this. He went on to become a mighty king and earned the exclusive title, "Heir of the Gods." Geb was so admired as a ruler, that the Egyptian throne was known by the epithet, "Seat of Geb."

He is usually shown as a man wearing either the crown of the North or of the South. Added is either the _Atef_ crown or a goose. The goose was a sacred animal to Geb, as such he was sometimes called "The Great Cackler" It was said that Geb's laughter was the source of earthquakes.

Other images show him lying underneath his wife Nut, (goddess of the Sky) and his father (Shu, god of the air). He reclines on one elbow with a knee and arm in the air. In this way he symbolized the valleys and hills of the land, which was called "The House of Geb." He is shown either as a dark or green skinned man (the colors of life, the soil of the Nile and vegetation, respectively) with leaves on his skin.

The religious center of Geb seems to be Heliopolis (near Cairo), where he and Nut produced the Great Egg from which the Sun-god sprang.

**Nut**: the goddess Nut was the daughter of Shu and Tefnut and the wife of Geb, the earth god. She was the goddess of the daytime sky and the place where clouds formed. In later periods, she was no longer the goddess of the daytime sky, but of the sky in general.

The goddess was typically portrayed as a woman who wears on her head a vase of water . Many times she is shown as a woman whose hands and feet touch the ground so that her body forms a semi-circle. As such she represents the heavens. Her arms and legs represent the four pillars on which the sky rests. She is held up by her father Shu (the god of the air). Her husband Geb lies on the ground reclining on one elbow and his knees in the air. In this position he depicts the hills and valleys of the land. It was said that when Shu raised Nut (the sky) above Geb (the earth) he brought an end to chaos and if he ever left this position, chaos would return.

In one myth Nut gives birth to the Sun-god daily and he passes over her body until he reaches her mouth at sunset. He then passed into her mouth and through her body and is reborn the next morning. Another myth described the sun as sailing up her legs and back in the Atet (Matet) boat until noon, when he entered the Sektet boat and continued his travels until sunset.

Nut had four children with Geb. Osiris and his wife Isis, along with Seth and his wife Nephthys. The circumstances of their births is described in the The Story of Ra. They were born on the five epagomenal days of the year (in Egyptian, "the five days over the year"). Every year these days were celebrated throughout Egypt.

Osiris, this day was considered unlucky. Horus, the elder, this day was described as either luck or unlucky. Seth, considered an unlucky day. Isis, lucky day called 'a beautiful festival of heaven and Earth.' Nephthys, an unlucky day.

**Hapi**: is the ancient Egyptian god of the Nile. He is ancient not only to us of the modern world, but to the Egyptians as well. In fact, "hep", the root of Hapi's name is probably an ancient name for the Nile.

Hapi was portrayed as a man with women's breasts and protruding belly. The full breasts and stomach indicate fertility and his ability to nourish the land through the Nile's annual floods. Just as Egypt was divided into two parts (the north and the south) so was Hapi's domain, the Nile. As a god of the northern Nile, Hapi was depicted wearing papyrus plants, a symbol of Lower Egypt, on his head. In this form, he was called "Hap-Meht". The Nile-god of Upper Egypt was "Hap-Reset" and wore lotus plants (a symbol of the south) on his head. When an artist was attempting to portray Hapi as a god of the entire Nile, he holds both lotus and papyrus plants in his hands or two vases.

The female counterpart and wife of Hapi in the south was Nekhebet, who was a goddess of the south in general and portrayed as a vulture. The wife of the Hapi of the north was Buto, who was depicted as a cobra and the equivalent of Nekhebet in the south.

Osiris was originally a water or river god and eventually Hapi was identified with him. However, in his own right, Hapi was recognized as one of the greatest Egyptian gods and he was declared not only the maker of the universe, but the creator of everything from which it and all things sprang. Hapi was also associated with Nun, as the Nile's source was believed to be located somewhere in the watery chaos of Nun's domain.

Hapi had a certain mysteriousness about him. The Egyptians believed that the Nile rose out of the ground between two mountains (Qer-Hapi and Mu-Hapi) between the islands of

Elephantine and Philae. However, the Egyptians had no clue how or why the Nile flooded each year. They believed that the gods Khnemu, Anqet, and Satet were the guardians of the source of the Nile. Their duty was to make sure that the right amount of silt was released during the yearly inundation. Hapi was in charge of the waters that flowed during the floods. The flood was commonly known as the "arrival of Hapi". The Egyptians would toss sacrifices, amulets and other offerings into the Nile at special places to appease Hapi and to ensure that he would provide an adequate inundation to water their fields.

**Seth**: regarded as the Lord of Lower (Northern) Egypt, Seth was represented by a big-eared imaginary animal with red hair resembling a donkey or maybe an aardvark. He was associated with the desert and storms. The Greeks associated Seth with their god, Typhon.

For many years, Seth was the benefactor of Lower Egypt; just as Horus protected Upper Egypt. When the Two Lands became united, Seth and Horus were often shown together crowning the new pharaohs. However, as Upper Egypt had conquered Lower Egypt, the pharaohs of the south often portayed Seth as the evil enemy of Horus (deity of Upper Egypt). The earlier images of Seth crowning the pharoah were usually modified to show Thoth crowning the king instead.

Seth was the brother of Osiris, Isis as well as Nephthys who was also his wife. Nephthys' son, Anubis was born from her trisk with Osiris. Seth never had any children, as emphasis of his association with the barren desert and of his status as the antithesis of the fertile Osiris. During his battles with Horus, the goddess Neith suggested a compromise by giving Horus the throne, and Seth the Semetic goddesses Astarte and Asat.

Seth is most famous for the fratricide of his brother mythisis, Osiris and the attempted murder of his brother's son, Horus. Horus survived though and avenged his father's death by ruling all of Egypt and exiling Seth to the desert for all time. The decision to banish Seth came from a counsel of the gods, ruled by Ra. While most of the gods agreed with Horus and his mother Isis that Osiris' son was the rightful heir to the throne of Egypt, Ra disagreed. He believed that Horus was too young to hold such a powerful position. Thus, the trial was stalemated for many years. Only the cunning of Isis could bring the case to an end.

Using her magic, Isis transformed herself into a beautiful young woman. Seth saw her with tears streaming down her face and asked what the matter was. Isis told a story not unlike the situation of herself and Horus, where an evil man had killed her husband and was trying to steal her family's flocks. Seth became angry at her plight and insisted that the evil man be destroyed and that the young woman's son should inherit the family's estate. By his own words, Seth condemned himself, and lost the throne of Egypt.

Seth was never a completely evil figure though. He protected the sun barge of Ra, his benefactor during the struggles with Horus, during its nightly journey through the underworld and he fights the snake-like monster Apep. Also, for a short time during the nineteenth Dynasty respect grew for Seth as he was seen as a god who restrained the forces of the desert. Many pharaohs at this time took Seth's name as a part of their own, with names such at 'Seti.'

**Osiris**: a god of the earth and vegetation, Osiris symbolized in his death the yearly drought and in his miraculous rebirth the periodic flooding of the Nile and the growth of grain. He was a god-king who was believed to have given Egypt civilization.

Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, and therefore the brother of Seth, Nephthys, and Isis. He was married to his sister, Isis. He was also the father of Horus and Anubis. These traditions state that Nephthys (mother of Anubis) assumed the form of Isis, seduced him (perhaps with wine) and she became pregnant with Anubis.

The oldest religious texts refer to Osiris as the great god of the dead, and throughout these texts it is assumed that the reader will understand that he once possessed human form and lived on earth. As the first son of Geb, the original king of Egypt, Osiris inherited the throne when Geb abdicated. At this time the Egyptians were barbarous cannibals and uncivilized. Osiris saw this and was greatly disturbed. Therefore, he went out among the people and taught them what to eat, the art of agriculture, how to worship the gods, and gave them laws. Thoth helped him in many ways by inventing the arts and sciences and giving names to things. Osiris was Egypt's greatest king who ruled through kindness and persuasion. Having civilized Egypt, Osiris traveled to other lands, leaving Isis as his regent, to teach other peoples what he taught the Egyptians.

During Osiris' absence, Isis was troubled with Seth's plotting to acquire both her and the throne of Egypt. Shortly after Osiris' return to Egypt, in the twenty-eighth year of his reign, on the seventeenth day of the month of Hathor (late September or November), Seth and seventy-two conspirators murdered him. They then threw the coffin in which he was murdered into the Nile, with his divine body still inside.

Isis, with the help of her sister Nephthys, and Anubis and Thoth, magically located Osiris' body. Upon learning the his brother's body was found, Seth went to it and tore it into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. Isis once again found every part of his body, save his phallus (it had been eaten by the now-cursed Nile fish). She magically re-assembled Osiris and resurrected him long enough to be impregnated by him so that she could give birth to the new king Horus.

Seth of course was not willing to surrender the throne of Egypt to the youthful Horus and thus a tribunal of gods met to decide who was the rightful king. The trial lasted eighty years. Eventually through Isis' cunning she won the throne for her son.

Osiris meanwhile had become the king of the Afterlife. He was believed to be willing to admit all people to the Duat, the gentle, fertile land in which the righteous dead lived, that had lived a good and correct life upon earth, and had been buried with appropriate ceremonies under the protection of certain amulets, and with the proper recital of certain "divine words" and words of power. His realm was said to lie beneath Nun, in the northern heavens or in the west.

It is as the King of the Afterlife that Osiris gained his supreme popularity. He was originally a minor god of Middle Egypt, especially in comparison to the gods of Heliopolis and Hermopolis, etc. Noting his increasing popularity, and sensing that Osiris would one day eclipse the adoration of their own gods, the priests of these cities adopted him into their own cosmogonies.

The elements of his story was seen as symbolic of real events that happened in Egypt. With his original association to agriculture, his death and resurrection were seen as symbolic of the annual death and re-growth of the crops and the yearly flooding of the Nile. The sun too with its daily re-birth and death was associated with Osiris. His rivalry with his brother Seth, the god of storms and the desert, was symbolic of the eternal war between the fertile lands of the Nile Valley and the barren desert lands just beyond. The pharaoh of Egypt was called Horus, while his deceased father was the new Osiris.

Several festivals during the year were held in Egypt, in celebration of Osiris. One, held in November, celebrated his beauty. Another, called the "Fall of the Nile" was a time of mourning. As the Nile receded, the Egyptians went to the shore to give gifts and show their grief over his death. When the Nile began to flood again, another festival honoring Osiris was held whereby small shrines were cast into the river and the priests poured sweet water in the Nile, declaring that the god was found again.

The name "Osiris" is the Greek corruption of the Egyptian name "Asar" (or Usar) . There are several possibilities as to what this name means, "the Strength of the Eye", is one. Another is "He Sees the Throne". The oldest and simplest form of the name is the hieroglyph of the throne over an eye (there are at least one hundred fifty-eight versions of the name). At one point the first syllable of the name was pronounced "Aus" or "Us" and may have gained the meaning of the word _usr_, "strength, might, power". At this time the Egyptians supposed the name to mean something like the "strength of the Eye" (i.e., the strength of the Sun-god Ra.

Another possibility raised by an ancient hymn's author is that the name "Unnefer" (another name by which Osiris was known) comes from the roots _un_ ("to open, to appear, to make manifest") and _neferu_, ("good things"). The author then wrote these lines in his hymn to the god, "Thy beauty maketh itself manifest in thy person to rouse the gods to life in thy name Unnefer". In any case, even to the ancients, the origin of Osiris' Egyptian name is a mystery.

Osiris was usually portrayed as a bearded, mummified human with green skin and wearing the _atef_ crown. His hands emerge from the mummy wrappings and hold the flail and crook.

**Isis**: was the sister of Osiris (who was also her husband), Nephthys and Seth, the daughter of Nut and Geb and the mother of Horus the Child.

Isis is depicted as a woman wearing a vulture head-dress and the solar disk between a pair of horns (which is sometimes underneath the symbol of her name, the throne). Occasionally she wears the double-crowns of the North and the South with the feather of Ma'at, or a pair of ram's horns. Isis as a woman (not a goddess) is portrayed with the ordinary head-dress of a woman, but with the uraeus over her forehead.

As the wife of Osiris, Isis assisted her husband during his earthly reign. In the Pyramid Texts, allusions are made that indicate that Isis foresaw her husband's murder. Following his death, Isis tirelessly searched for his body so that he may be properly buried and may rest in peace in the Underworld. Through her magic, she brought Osiris back to life so that he could impregnate her with their son Horus.

Isis was a vital link between the gods and mankind. The pharaoh was her son, as the living Horus. In the Pyramid Texts the pharaoh suckles as Isis' divine breasts. There are numerous statues and imagery of Isis holding the young Horus in her lap. Often the images of the queen-mother and current pharaoh were styled in the same way. Isis protected Horus during his childhood from his uncle Seth who wished to murder him. It was her hole that he might one day grow up to avenge his father's murder.

In the _Book of the Dead_, Isis is regarded as the giver of life and food to the dead. She may also be one of the judges of the dead. Another of her roles was to protect Imsety, one of the four sons of Horus, as he guarded over the liver of the deceased.

Isis was a great magician and is famous for the use of her magical skills. For example, she created the first cobra and used it's venomous bite to coerce Ra into revealing his secret name.

From the beginning of Egypt's history to the end, Isis was the greatest goddess of Egypt. She was the beneficial goddess and mother whose love encompassed every living creature. Isis was also the purest example of the loving wife and mother and it was in this capacity that the Egyptian people loved her the most.

Her worship spread well beyond the borders of Egypt, as far away as England. The works of the classical writers identified her with Persephone, Tethys, Athene, etc, just as Osiris was associated with Hades, Dionysos and other foreign gods.

In fact, the early Christians deferred some of her attributes to the Virgin Mary. As a loving and protective mother, Isis appealed to the Eastern peoples who were familiar with her cult. The images of Isis suckling the Horus child undoubtedly inspired the multitude of icons showing the Madonna and Child.

**Horus**: the falcon-headed god, the kings of Egypt associated themselves with Horus. Horus was among the most important gods of Egypt, particularly because the Pharaoh was supposed to be his earthly embodiment. Kings would eventually take the name of Horus as one of their own. At the same time, the Pharaohs were the followers of Ra and so Horus became associated with the sun as well. To the people this solar deity became identified as the son of Osiris. Attempts to resolve the conflicts between these different gods in different parts of Egypt resulted in at least fifteen distinct forms of Horus. They can be divided fairly easily into two groups, solar and Osirian, based on the parentage of the particular form of Horus. If he is said to be the son of Isis, he is Osirian; otherwise he is a solar deity. The solar Horus was called the son of Atum, or Ra, or Geb and Nut variously.

As _Harsiesis_, he is "Horus, the son of Isis". Horus was conceived magically by Isis following the murder of his father, Osiris. Horus was raised by his mother on the floating island of Chemmis near Buto. He was in constant danger from his evil uncle Seth but his mother protected him and he survived.

As a child, Horus was known as _Harpokrates_, "the infant Horus", and was portrayed as a baby being suckled by Isis. He was said to be stunted from the waist down. This may be because his father was dead when he was conceived or perhaps because he was born prematurely. In later times he was affiliated with the newborn sun. Harpokrates is pictured as a child sucking his thumb and having his hair fashioned in a sidelock that symbolized his youth. On his head he wore the royal crown and _uraeus_. Also, in Egyptian art, such as the example to the right, Harpokrates is shown as a child with the sidelock of youth standing on crocodiles and holding in one hand scorpions and in the other hand snakes.

As _Harmakhis_, "Horus in the Horizon", he personified the rising sun and was associated with Khepera as a symbol of resurrection or eternal life. The Great Sphinx at the Giza Plateau is an example of this form of Horus.

_Haroeris_, "Horus the Elder", was one of the earliest forms of Horus and the patron deity of Upper (southern) Egypt. He was said to be the son, or sometimes the husband of Hathor. He was also the brother of Osiris and Seth. He became the conqueror of Seth (the patron of Lower Egypt) c. 3000 BCE when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and formed the united kingdom of Egypt. He was depicted as a falcon-headed man, sometimes wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Horus (the elder) had numerous wives and children, and his 'four sons' were grouped together and generally said to be born of Isis. The four were known as: Duamututef, Imsety, Hapi and Qebehsenuef. They were born from a lotus flower and were solar gods associated with the creation. They were retrieved from the waters of Nun by Sobek on the orders of Ra. It was believed that Anubis gave them the funerary duties of mummification, the Opening of the Mouth, the burial of Osiris and all men. Horus later made them protectors of the four cardinal points. In the Hall of Ma'at they sat on a lotus flower in front of Osiris. Most commonly, however, they were remembered as the protectors of the internal organs of the deceased. Each son protected an organ, and each son was protected by a goddess.

_Horus Behdety _was a form of Horus the Elder that was worshipped originally in the western Delta at Behdet. As the son and heir of Ra, Behdety was a form of Horus that was assimilated into the Heliopolitan system of beliefs yet not completely identified with Ra. Behdety was a defender of Ra during his earthly kingship against Seth. He was usually portrayed as a winged sun-disk or as a falcon hovering over the Pharaoh during battles. When shown as a falcon-headed man wearing the double crown he carries a falcon-headed staff, the weapon he used to defeat Seth.

**Nephthys**: was the daughter of Geb and Nut and the sister of Osiris, Isis and Seth. She was also the wife of Seth. The name "Nebt-het" means the "lady of the house." By "house" it is understood to be the portion of the sky where Horus lived. Nephthys was portrayed as a woman wearing on her head the symbol of her name, or the symbol on top of a pair of horns.

Her son was Anubis, whose father was Osiris. Some myths say that Nephthys intoxicated Osiris and seduced him, thus creating Anubis. Yet others say that she disguised herself as her sister Isis, Osiris' wife, and became pregnant by him. It was Nephthys' affair with Osiris which enraged Seth and was one of his motives for murdering Osiris.

Since the earliest of times, Nephthys was considered to be Seth's counterpart and wife. She was always associated with him. Even so, she was depicted as the loyal friend and sister to Isis. It was Nephthys who helped Isis search for and rebuild Osiris' body. One of her roles was to protect Hapy, one of the four sons of Horus, as he guarded over the lungs of the deceased

**Khnemu**: was one of the oldest gods of Egypt. The Egyptians' views of him changed somewhat through Egyptian history. He always was an important god and he remained so even in some semi-Christian sects two to three centuries after the birth of Christ! His symbol was the flat-horned ram and was depicted as a ram-headed man who wears the White Crown on his head. Khnemu was originally a water-god, and as such he is shown with water flowing over his outstretched hands and wearing a jug on his head above his horns. His name comes from the root, _khnem_, "to build".

It was believed that he built the first egg from which the sun sprang. Khnemu also made the gods and he sculpted the first man on a potter's wheel and he continued to "build up" their bodies and maintain their life. Khnemu built up the material universe (with Ptah) under the guidance and direction of Thoth. As the architect, he had seven forms:

Khnemu Nehep, "Khnemu the Creator"

Khnemu Khenti-taui, "Khnemu, governor of the two lands"

Khnemu Sekhet ashsep-f, "Khnemu, weaver of his light"

Khnemu Khenti per-ankh, "Khnemu, governor of the House of Life"

Khnemu Neb-ta-ankhtet, "Khnemu, lord of the Land of Life"

Khnemu Khenti netchemtchem ankhet, "Khnemu, Governor of the House of Sweet Life"

Khnemu Neb, "Khnemu, Lord"

Khnemu was worshiped from Thebes to Philae, but the principal sanctuaries were at the First Cataract (Elephantine and Philae).

**Anqet**: was the goddess of the island of Sahal, near the First Cataract of the Nile. She was shown as a woman who wears a crown of ostrich feathers. Her sacred animal was the gazelle. She was the daughter of Satet, the wife of Khnemu. Together, the three deities formed the Triad of Elephantine, the principal deities of that city.

Anqet was originally a water goddess from Sudan. Her name meant, "to embrace" which was interpreted to mean that her embrace during the annual Nile floods fertilized the fields. Later, she became a goddess of lust, whose attributes and cult were obscene. However, her cult's origins can be traced back to the Old Kingdom. She is closely associated with Nubia. She is not an imported goddess though.

Her worship was common throughout northern Nubia and the center of her worship was the island of Sahal, near Aswan. There she was called the "Lady of Sahal" (Nebt Satet). Anqet's temple at Sahal was called "Amen-heri-ab".

**Satet**: was the principal female counterpart of Khnemu and was worshipped with him at Elephantine (Abu). She was the mother of the goddess, Anqet.

Her name comes from the root, _sat_ (to shoot, to eject, to pour out, to throw). With her arrows, she protected the pharaoh. Further, in the Pyramid Texts, Satet is described as cleansing the king with four jars of water from Elephantine.

Satet was the goddess of the inundation (yearly flooding of the Nile) and of fertility. She was also connected with the star "Sept" whose return to the night sky marked the beginning of the flood season.

Satet's temple in Elephantine was one of the principal holy places in Egypt. The center of her worship was in the island of Sahal, two miles south of Elephantine.

**Thoth**: the god of wisdom and learning. He was said to be self-created in the beginning along with his consort, the goddess Ma'at (truth). The two produced eight children, the most important being Amon. Alternately depicted as an ibis-headed human, an ibis, or a baboon (or dog-headed ape), perhaps because the grave facial expressions of these creatures suggested thoughtfulness. He carries a pen and scrolls with which he records all things.

Thoth was believed to have filled many roles in the world of the gods. It was believed that he invented writing and was the vizier and official scribe of the afterworld, and that the _Book of the Dead_ was written by him. He and Ma'at were believed to stand on either side of Ra in his boat as he (as the Sun) traveled across the sky. It was thought that they also may have directed the course that the boat took. It was widely believed that Thoth invented the magical and hermetic arts, and thus the Tarot deck is frequently referred to as the "Book of Thoth" He was associated with the moon; as the sun vanished, Thoth tried to dispel the darkness with his light.

Thoth is shown attending all major scenes involving the gods, but most especially at the judgement of the deceased. It is here that he (shown as a dog-headed ape) sits on the top of the balance that weighs the heart of the deceased to determine if it is as light as _ma'at_. The concept of _ma'at_ is one of truth, justice, and "that which is straight". It may even be related to "cosmic order". The baboon Thoth informs the ibis-headed Thoth when the balance is at equilibrium. The ibis-headed Thoth then makes his report to the other gods who then pass judgement on the deceased.

**Neith**: is one of the oldest Egyptian goddesses. Early in Egyptian history she was honored throughout Egypt. Later on, she was mostly recognized in her cult center of Sais.

She was sometimes depicted as a woman wearing the crown of the north and holding either a sceptre or a bow and two arrows. At other times she was shown as a woman wearing a shuttle (a tool used in weaving) on her head.

It is believed that she was originally a goddess of war (due to the bow and arrows imagery) and may have become later a goddess of weaving (when wearing the shuttle). She was occasionally shown suckling a crocodile who represented her son, Sobek. She was self-produced and the Egyptians believed she was of both a masculine and feminine nature. It was said that Neith gave birth to Ra while she was still in the waters of Nun. Neith was the protectoress of Duamutef, the guardian of the deceased's stomach.

During the dispute between Seth and Horus for the throne of Egypt, the gods could not decide how to resolve the issue. They sent a letter to Neith requesting her advice. She suggested that Horus be made king and Seth be given two Semetic goddesses as consolation. All the gods (but Seth) agreed with the wisdom of her solution.

Her largest temple, Sapi-meht, was located at Sais, the capital of the fifth nome of Lower Egypt. In Upper Egypt, she was portrayed with the head of a lioness. Here her husband was Khnemu, the ram-headed creation god of the First Cataract, and her son was Tutu. Tutu was a form of the god Shu.

**Duamutef**: is one of the four sons of Horus, he was portrayed as a mummified jackal. Horus (the elder) had numerous wives and children, and his 'four sons' were grouped together and generally said to be born of Isis. Duamutef was one. Duamutef's role was to protect the stomach of the deceased and was the guardian of the East. He was protected by the goddess Neith.

**Qebehsenuef**: is one of the four sons of Horus, he was portrayed as a mummified falcon. Qebehsenuef was one. Qebehsenuef's role was to protect the intestines of the deceased and was the guardian of the West. He was protected by the goddess Selket.

**Imsety**: is one of the four sons of Horus, he was portrayed as a mummified human. Imsety was one. Imsety's role was to protect the liver of the deceased and was the guardian of the South. He was protected by the goddess Isis.

**Hapy**: is one of the four sons of Horus, he was portrayed as a mummy with the head of a baboon. Hapy was one. Hapy's role was to protect the lungs of the deceased and was the guardian of the North. He was protected by the goddess Nephthys. He is sometimes confused with the Nile-god 'Hapi'.

They were born from a lotus flower and were solar gods associated with the creation. They were retrieved from the waters of Nun by Sobek on the orders of Ra. It was believed that Anubis gave them the funerary duties of mummification, the Opening of the Mouth, the burial of Osiris and all men. Horus later made them protectors of the four cardinal points (north, south, east and west). In the Hall of Ma'at they sat on a lotus flower in front of Osiris. Most commonly, however, they were remembered as the protectors of the internal organs of the deceased. Each son protected an organ, and each son was protected by a goddess.

**Apep**: was a huge serpent (or crocodile) which lived in the waters of Nun or in the celestial Nile. Each day he attempted to disrupt the passage of the solar barque of Ra. In some myths, Apep was an earlier and discarded sun-god himself. This helps to explain the snake's strength and his resentment of the daily journey of the sun. In Seth's battle for the throne of Egypt, he claimed that he was stronger than Horus because it was he that stood at the prow of the solar barque and defeated the enemies of Ra.

Apep was a genuine threat to Ra and his daily travels. At times he was successful and when this occurred stormy weather would occur. When Apep swallowed the barque, there was a solar eclipse.

He never had a lasting victory though because of the prayers of the priests and religious. A book called, _The Books of Overthrowing Apep_ contained a list of his secret names and a number of hymns that celebrate Re's victories. According to the book, Apep had been previously killed, hacked to pieces, dismembered and thrown into the abyss. However, he always came back to life to attack Re the next day. Egyptians would go to the temples and make images of snakes out of wax. They would spit in the images, then burn and mutilate them. Doing this and reciting the spells in the _Books of Overthrowing Apep_ helped ensure Ra's continued success and victory over the snake.

Titles of the chapters of the first book are as follows:

Chapter of Spitting Upon Apep

Chapter of Defiling Apep with the Left Foot

Chapter of Taking a Lance to Smite Apep

Chapter of Fettering Apep

Chapter of Taking a knife to Smite Apep

Chapter of Putting Fire Upon Apep

Following books describe in detail the destruction which will fall upon Apep. According to these, Apep will first be speared, then sliced with red-hot knives so that every bone of his body has been separated, his head, legs and tail are cut off. His remains are then scorched, singed, and roasted, finally to be consumed by fire. The same fate awaits Apep's confederates and everything which formed parts of him, them, and all their offspring (their shadows, souls, doubles, and spirits).

**Hathor**: the horned cow-goddess of love, she was also the deity of happiness, dance and music, and a protector of women. She is depicted as a cow, as a woman with the head of a cow, or as a woman with who wears the stylized cow-horns which hold in them the solar disk. Her symbols also included the papyrus reed, the snake and a rattle called a sistrum.

Early in Egyptian mythology she was known has Horus' mother (later Isis assumed this role). Proof of this is seen in her name, "Hathor" which means the "house of Horus". As the mother of Horus, the queen of Egypt was identified with her. This is natural, as the queen was the mother of the Pharaoh, the living Horus. Isis was often shown with cow-horns like Hathor's on her head when the artist wanted to emphasize her role as the mother of Horus.

It was said that when a child was born, Seven Hathors came to his bedside to announce his fate. The Seven Hathors were believed to know the future and the moment of death for every Egyptian. A person's destiny depended on the hour of their death and the luck of ill-fortune was connected with it. It was believed that the Hathors would exchange a prince born to ill-fortune with a more fortunate child, therefore protecting the dynasty and the nation. The Hathors were shown as a group of young women playing tambourines and wearing the disk and horns of Hathor. During Ptolemaic times (when Greeks ruled over Egypt), they were identified with the Pleiades.

In the Story of Ra, she was created by her father Ra as "Sekhmet" as a destroyer of men, who were disobedient to him. Later Ra changed his mind, but even he could not stop her from killing men. He then disguised beer as blood and when Sekhmet became drunk, she could no longer kill and was known thereafter as Hathor, a goddess of love.

Her cult was centered in Dendera where she was a goddess of fertility and childbirth. In Thebes she was seen as a goddess of the dead, and the Greeks identified her with Aphrodite (their goddess of love).

**Sobek**: a crocodile-god, he was worshipped in cities that depended on water, such as the oasis city of Arsinoe (Crocodilopolis), where the reptiles were kept in pools and adorned with jewels. Hundreds of the animals have been found mummified. He was worshipped to placate his sacred animals (the crocodiles).

He was portrayed as a man with the head of a crocodile, or sometimes simply as one. In the _Book of the Dead_, he assists in the birth of Horus and helps to destroy Seth. He also retrieved the Four Sons of Horus from the waters of Nun was the request of Ra.

**Selket**: was the goddess of scorpians and magic. She was depicted in the form of a woman with a scorpian on her head.

Her roles in Egyptian mythology were many, mostly as a beneficial goddess. She watched over Qebehsenuef, one of the four sons of Horus, who in turn protected the intestines of the deceased. Other connections with the afterlife include her epithet, "Lady of the Beautiful Tent" which referred to her as a protector of the embalmer's tent. In the Afterlife she was said to watch over a dangerous twist in a pathway. She was also credited with guarding the snake, Apep following his imprisonment in the Underworld.

Selket was also associated with childbirth and nursing. Contrary to her typical benficial characterization, she was also related to the sun's scorching heat. In the _Book of the Dead_, she is a protector of the deceased and his teeth are identified with hers.

Magically, Selket was a protector from venomous bites. She was the patroness of magicians who dealt with poisoness bites. Suprisingly though, it was usually Isis who was invoked in spells against scorpion stings

**Aten**: was a being who represented the god or spirit of the sun, and the actual solar disk. He was depicted as a disk with rays reaching to the earth. At the end of the rays were human hands which often extended the ankh to the pharaoh.

Aten's origins are unclear and he may have been a provincial Sun-god worshipped in one of the small villages near Heliopolis.

Aten was called the creator of man and the nurturing spirit of the world. In the Book of the Dead, Aten is called on by the deceased, "Hail, Aten, thou lord of beams of light, when thou shinest, all faces live."

It is impossible to discuss Aten without mentioned his biggest promoter, the pharaoh Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten. Early in his reign, Akhenaten worshipped both Amon (the chief god in Thebes at the time) and Aten. The first as part of his public duties, the latter in private. When he restored and enlarged the temple of Aten first built by his father Amenhotep III, relations between him and priests of Amon became strained. The priests were a major power in Egypt and if another god became supreme they would lose their own prestige. Eventually, relations became so strained that Akhenaten decided to built his own capital by the Nile, which he called, "Akhetaten", the Horizon of the Aten.

At Akhetaten, Akhenaten formed a new state religion, focusing on the worship of the Aten. It stated that Aten was the supreme god and their were no others, save for Akhenaten himself. It has been said that Akhenaten formed the first monotheistic religion around Aten. However, this is not the case. Akhenaten himself was considered to be a creator god and like Aten was born again every day. Aten was only accessible to the people through Akhenaten because Akhenaten was both man and part of the cosmos.

Akhenaten systematically began a campaign to erase all traces of the old gods, especially Amon. He erased the name of Amon from the temples and public works. He even went so far as to erase his own father's cartouche because the word "Amon" was featured in it. Even the word "gods" was unacceptable because it implied there were other deities besides Aten.

It is clear that the Egyptian people never accepted their king's religion and view of the world. Even at his own capital, Akhetaten, amulets featuring Bes and Tauret have been found.

Following Akhenaten's death, Atenism died rapidly. Mostly because the people never really believed in it and also because Akhenaten's successors did all they could to erase Akhenaten and Aten from the public eye. Eventually, Akhetaten became abandoned and the name "Akhenaten" conjured the dim memory of a "heretic king."

**Amon**: the god of Thebes, he was shown as human. He was viewed (along with his consort Amaunet) in Hermopolis as a primordial creation-deity. Up to the time of the XIIth Dynasty Amon was a Theban god of no more than local importance, but as soon as the princes of Thebes had conquered their rival claimants to the rule of Egypt, and had succeeded in making their city a new capital of the country, their god Amon became a prominent god in Upper Egypt. It was probably under that dynasty that the attempt was made to assign to him the proud position which was afterwards claimed for him of "king of the gods".

In spite of Amon's political ascension, he also enjoyed popularity among the common people of Egypt. He was called the vizier of the poor. It was said that he protected the weak from the strong and was an upholder of justice. Those who requested favors from Amon were required to demonstrate their worthiness or to confess their sins first.

Typically, the strength of a god would add luster to the position of the _pharaoh_. However, as Amon grew in popularity, his _priests_ grew increasingly powerful in influence and wealth. As such, they often attempted to assert themselves in the political arena. When the queen Hatshepsut found supporters among the priests of Amon, she honored their god by claiming that he was her father and she built her temple in Deir el-Bahri in his honor.

Ironically, such political maneuvering helped to destroy Amon's popularity. Starting in the reign to Thutmosis IV, a movement began in the royal house to pay homage to a purer form of the sun. The sun-disc Aten slowly became the god of the pharaohs. The situation came to a head during the reign of Akhenaten. During his reign as pharaoh, he moved the capital of Egypt away from Thebes to Akhetaten where he and his followers could worship Aten exclusively. The pharaoh also began a campaign of erasing the name of Amon from the public works of Egypt.

Following the death of Akhenaten, his successor Tutankhamon moved the capital back to Thebes and restored the old gods. However, Amon never regained his former following and the pharaohs and the country focused their religious devotion to the gods of the Osirian family.

The word or root _amen_ means "what is hidden", "what is not seen", "what cannot be seen" and the like. This fact is proved by many examples which may be collected from all periods. Now, not only is the god himself said to be "hidden", but his name is also "hidden,"and his form is said to be "unknown." In the times approaching the Ptolemaic period, the name Amon appears to have been connected with the root _men_, "to abide, to be permanent;" and one of the attributes which were applied to him was that of _eternal_.

Amon was self-created according to later traditions. His wife was the mother-goddess Mut and his son was the moon, Khonsu. According to the older Hermopolitan customs though, Amon was made by Thoth as one of the eight primordial gods of creation (Amen, Amaunet, Heh, Heqet, Nun, Naunet, Kau, Kauket).

Amon was represented on five forms:

As a man, when he is seen seated on a throne, and holding in one hand the was sceptre, and in the other the ankh

As a man with the head of a frog

As a man with the head of a uraeus (cobra)

As an ape

As a lion crouching upon a pedestal

His sacred animals were the goose and the ram, although he was never depicted as them

**Anubis**: the jackal-god of mummification, he assisted in the rites by which a dead man was admitted to the underworld. Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming and who embalmed the dead Osiris and thereby helping to preserve him that he might live again.

Anubis is portrayed as a man with the head of a jackal holding the divine sceptre carried by kings and gods; as simply a black jackal or as a dog accompanying Isis. His symbol was a black and white ox-hide splattered with blood and hanging from a pole. It's meaning is unknown.

Anubis had three important functions. He supervised the embalming of bodies. He received the mummy into the tomb and performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony and then conducted the soul in the Field of Celestial Offerings. Most importantly though, Anubis monitored the Scales of Truth to protect the dead from deception and eternal death.

Early in Egyptian history, Anubis was a god of the dead. This role was usurped by Osiris as he rose in popularity.

The god of embalming is probably associated with the jackal due to the habits of jackals to lurk about tombs and graves. One of the reasons the early Egyptians sought to make their tombs more elaborate was to keep the bodies safe from the jackals lingering about the graves. It is only natural therefore that a god of mummification would be connected with them. By worshipping Anubis, the Egyptians hoped to invoke him to protect their deceased from jackals, and later, the natural decay that unprotected bodies endure.

Anubis was the son of Nephthys: and his father was Osiris. One myth says that Nephthys got Osiris drunk and the resultant seduction brought forth Anubis. Yet another says she disguised herself as Isis and seduced Osiris and subsequently gave birth to Anubis.

**Sokar**: was a god of rebirth and rejuvination that was depicted as a man with a falcon's head. Frequently, Sokar was mummiform yet with a falcon's head. He wore the white crown and held a sceptre and whip.

The Pyramid Texts describe Sokar as aiding in the re-birth of the king and transferring the divine royal powers to the deceased king's son and heir. In the Middle Kingdom, Sokar became involved specifically in the transfiguration of the body following death and the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. At this time, Sokar became associated with Ptah for his ability as a metallurgist and regenerative qualities.

In The Book of the Dead (a New Kingdom text) Sokar became Sokar-Osiris, and a nighttime incarnation of the sun. Sokar enabled the sun to complete its nightly journey through the Underworld, and to be reborn each morning.

Sokar was worshipped in several chapels within the larger temples of Egypt. As of yet though, no evidence exists that he had a temple of his own.

**Tauret**: was a predynastic hippopotamus-goddess of pregnant women and childbirth. She was also a mother-goddess who wore the solar disk and cow's horns to symbolize how she helped in the daily rebirth of the sun. She was even called the Eye of Ra, his daughter, and the mother of Osiris and Isis.

Tauret was portrayed as a pregnant female hippopotamus with large human breasts, the hind legs of a lion and the tail of a crocodile. She is shown standing on her hind legs and leaning on the symbol for "protection" and holding an ankh.

Tauret was a domestic deity that was greatly revered. Her most common role was as a protectoress of pregnant women. She was often shown with Bes in the birth chamber and she was a prominent assistant at the birth of Hatshepsut.

Tauret acquired an evil reputation because she was said to have been the concubine of Seth. When she sided with Horus in their dispute over who was the rightful claimant to the throne of Egypt following the death of Osiris she showed her kinder nature.

**Khonsu**: was a moon-god and the son of Amon-Re and Mut. His name derives from the root, "khens" which means _to travel, to move about, to run_. He was usually portrayed as a man with the head of a hawk and wearing the lunar disk. He was also shown as a child with the sidelock of youth.

Khonsu was a very old god of primitive times. Khonsu was associated with the moon and was considered a form of Thoth by the Thebens, and it was in Thebes that Ramses III built the "House of Khonsu in Thebes, Nefer-hetep".

It was said that when Khonsu caused the cresent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat were filled with fresh air.

**Mihos**: was a lion-god and the son of Bastet. He was depicted as a lion or a lion-headed man. When shown as a lion-headed man, Mihos would wear a short kilt and any one of a number of headdresses. He would often be shown holding a knife and with a bouquet of lotuses near him.

He helped Ra in the daily battle against Apep. Mihos was a god of war and a patron of sacred places. A late Greek text described him as a god of storms and darkness.

Mihos was the local god of Leontopolis (Taremu) in Nome 11 of Lower Egypt. The ancient buildings have not been well preserved, and there is some debate on the age of the temple ruins. There may have been a temple to Mihos in Leontopolis as early as the 18th Dynasty. Osorkon III built a temple was built for him in the 23rd dynasty in Bubastis (the sacred town of Bastet).

**Meretseger**: was the goddess of the Valley of the Kings, the famous necropolis outside of Thebes. She was believed to live in a pyramid-shaped mountain that rose a thousand feet above the Valley of the Kings. In ancient times, the mountain was named after her. She was also called "Dehenet Imentet", which means "Peak of the West".

During the New Kingdom, Meretseger was the chief deity over the Valley of the Kings. For the tomb builders living in their village, now known as Deir el-Medina, Meretseger was a dangerous, yet merciful, goddess who would punish sinners and liars with blindness and snakebites. She was described as the lion of the summit, for she was fierce in her pursuit of sin. For the pious, she was a protective being who defended the workers against snakebites. The workmen of Deir el-Medina dedicated many stelae to her. Her cult declined rapidly after the 21st Dynasty, as the Valley of the Kings was abandoned.

Meretseger was portrayed as a coiled snake, or as a cobra-headed woman. Her name means, "She Who Loves Silence.

**Aker**: was an ancient earth-god in Egypt. He was believed to guard the gates of the dawn from which the sun rose each morning. He was portrayed as a double-headed lion, or a two lions sitting back-to-back. In between them is shown the sun with the sky overhead. In this way they form the _akhet_ symbol, which was a symbol of the horizon. Occasionally they were portrayed bearing the _akhet_ on their backs (as in the image to the right).

The two lions were called _Sef_ and _Duau_, which means "Yesterday" and "Today" respectively.

As Egyptians believed that the gates of the morning and evening were guarded by Aker, they often placed statues of lions at the doors of their palaces and tombs. This was to guard the households and tombs from evil spirits and other malevolent beings. Sometimes they gave these statues the heads of men and women. The Greeks called this class of statuary, "Sphinxes."

It is believed that Aker is probably a more ancient earth god than the Heliopolitan god, Geb.

**Min**: was a fertility god who was believed to bestow sexual powers to all men. He also was a god of the rain who was a generative force of nature. In one of the most important Min festivals, the Pharaoh would hoe the fields as Min looked on. At the harvest festivals, the Pharaoh would ceremoniously hoe the fields under Min's supervision. When the Pharaoh begot his heir, he was also identified with Min.

He was portrayed as an ithyphallic bearded man, with his legs close together and wearing the same headdress as Amon. Min is shown with one arm raised wielding a thunderbolt.

His sacred animal was a white bull and his special plant, long lettuce (_lactuca sativa_, was believed to have aphrodisiac properties. Lettuce is believed to be associated with him, not due to its vaguely phallic shape, but rather to its white milky sap which is reminiscent of semen.

Min was a predynastic god. In the earliest times he was a sky-god called the "Chief of Heaven". Until the Middle Kingdom he was identified with Horus the Elder and he was called the son of Ra or Shu. In the New Kingdom, Min became closely linked to Amon-Ra. During this time, Min became immensely popular and orgiastic festivals were held in his honor.

Min's cult was centered in the Delta city of Chemmis and Koptos.

**Bastet**: the goddess Bastet was usually represented as a woman with the head of a domesticated cat. However, up until 1000 BC she was portrayed as a lioness. Bastet was the daughter of Ra, the sun god. It may have been through him that she acquired her feline characteristics. When Re destroyed his enemy Apep, he was usually depicted as a cat. As portrayed as a cat, she was connected with the moon (her son Khonsu was the god of the moon). When shown as a lioness, she is associated with sunlight.

Bastet was the goddess of fire, cats, of the home and pregnant women. According to one myth, she was the personification of the soul of Isis. She was also called the "Lady of the East". As such, her counterpart as "Lady of the West" was Sekhmet.

Bastet seemed to have two sides to her personality, docile and aggressive. Her docile and gentle side was displayed in her duties as a protector of the home, and pregnant women. Her aggressive and vicious nature was exposed in the accounts of battles in which the pharaoh was said to have slaughtered the enemy as Bastet slaughtered her victims.

Her center of worship was in Bubastis (Per-Bast, Pa-Bast, Pibeseth, Tell-Basta), in the eastern Delta. Her chief festivals were celebrated in April and May. Herodotus, the famous Greek historian, provides the following description of one of the festivals:

"When the Egyptians travel to Bubastis, they do so in this manner: men and women sail together, and in each boat there are many persons of both sexes. Some of the women shake their rattles and some of the men blow their pipes during the whole journey, while others sing and clap their hands. If they pass a town on the way, some of the women land and shout and jeer at the local women, while others dance and create a disturbance. They do this at every town on the Nile. When they arrive at Bubastis, they begin the festival with great sacrifices, and on this occasion, more wine is consumed than during the whole of the rest of the year."

**Bat**: is a very ancient goddess; the earliest evidence of her dates to the late Pre-Dynastic period. She was a cow-goddess of the sky with the power to see the past and into the future. This ability is referred to in the Pyramid Texts, where she was called "Bat, with her two faces." The deceased pharoah associated himself with Bat in this form. Later, she seemed to be the personification of the sistrum.

Bat was the chief deity for centuries in the 7th nome of Upper Egypt. During the Middle Kingdom, she was superseded by Hathor, who dominated the 6th nome - just next door.

Bat was not depicted very often in Egyptian artwork, however she was more commonly seen in amulets. She was shown as a woman with a human face, bovine ears and curly horns which emerged from her temples. She is most likely the cow-goddess seen at the top of the famous Narmer palette, which celebrated the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Bat is also famously seen on a unification pectoral in which she, as a sistrum), sits between Horus and Seth. Horus and Seth were the gods of Upper and Lower Egypt. Her image influenced the cult of Hathor.

**Bes**: was the god of music and dance, the god of war and slaughter, and a destroying force of nature. He was also a protector of children. Bes is most likely of equatorial African origin, although some think he is Semitic (Middle Eastern).

Bes was usually portrayed as a dwarf with a large head. He is bearded with his tongue sticking out. He has a flat nose, bushy eyebrows and hair, large projecting ears. Around his body, he wears the skin of an animal and its tail hangs down behind him and touches the ground. He wears on his head a tiara of feathers, suggesting an African origin. Sometimes he is shown in profile, but he is usually seen full face (highly unusual in Egyptian artistic conventions). As a god of music he is sometimes shown playing a harp. As a warrior he wears a short military tunic and holds a shield and a short sword.

One of the earliest portrayals of Bes is in the Temple of Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was a female Pharaoh of the New Kingdom.

**Buto**: was a cobra-goddess whose original home and cult center was in the Delta of the Nile at Per-Uatchit. In time she became a prominent protectress of all of Lower Egypt. As such she was routinely connected to the goddess of Upper Egypt, Nekhebet. Together, they appeared in many pieces of art as symbols of the Two Lands, a united Egypt.

Buto did not just protect Egypt, she also was an aggressive defender of the king. She was portrayed as the _uraeus_ cobra first worn on the brow of Ra, and later the pharaohs'. Her hood is spread in a threatening position and she is ready to spit poison on all of the pharaoh's enemies or burn them with her fiery glare. It is thought perhaps that her powers could be used _against_ the pharaoh as well. Her bite may have been the deadly device used by Anubis at the appointed time of the pharaoh's death.

Buto was a personification of the sun's burning heat and she was called the "Lady of Heaven" and the queen of all of the gods. She was closely associated with Horus the Elder, who was the protector god of Lower Egypt. Also she was associated with Harpokrates (Horus the Younger); she protected him from Seth in the marshes of the Delta while Isis was searching for the body of Osiris.

Buto was depicted in art as a woman wearing the _uraeus_ or the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. She was shown carrying a papyrus stem around which was coiled a cobra. Sometimes she was shown as just a cobra coiled in a basket and wearing the crown of Lower Egypt.

**Mut**: Her name means "mother" and in many ways she was regarded by the Egyptians as the great "world mother," and mother of the pharaohs.

It appears that Mut was originally the female counterpart of Nun. However, in Thebes she replaced Amaunet to become the wife of the great god Amon. Her son was the local god of the moon, Khonsu. Together, the three formed the triad of Thebes that would dominate Egypt during the New Kingdom.

Mut is one of the few goddesses who were self-created. She was called, "Mut, who giveth birth, but was herself not born of any."

The goddess is usually portrayed as a woman wearing the united crowns (or Double Crown) of the North and the South. In her hands she holds the papyrus sceptre and the emblem of life, ankh. Other images show her as a woman standing upright. Her arms are stretched out at 90 degree angles to her body and have large wings attached to them. The feather of Ma'at is at her feet. Some portraits depict Mut with the heads of a man, a woman, a vulture and a lioness. She has a phallus, a pair of wings and the claws of a lion.

The center of her worship was a quarter of Thebes called Asher (Ashrel, Ashrelt, Isheru). Her temple, Het-Mut, was just south of that of Amen-Ra.

**Heh**: was the god of infinity and formlessness. He was shown as a crouching man holding out two palm ribs in his hands, each of which terminated with a tadplole and a shen ring. The _shen_ ring was a traditional symbol of infinity. The palm ribs were symbols of the passage of time, in the temples they were notched to record cycles of time. The tadpole was a hieroglyph that represented the number 100,000.

The image of Heh himself was with his arms raised was the hieroglyph for the number one million.

Heh was a member of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis. He and his consort Hauhet together were the aspects of formlessness and endlessness that existed in the universe prior to the Creation. In Hermopolis, he was depicted as a serpent.

**Imhotep**: is one of the few Egyptian gods (other than the pharaohs) who was actually a real person. He was the vizier of Djoser, a pharaoh of the third dynasty. He was skilled in all areas of administration and royal enterprises. Imhotep was also a priest, writer, a doctor and a founder of the Egyptian studies of astronomy and architecture.

Imhotep was known perhaps best of all as the architect of the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, near Memphis. The Step Pyramid was the first structure created by human hands to be built entirely from stone.

It was as a wise man and scribe that Imhotep was first honored as a god. In the New Kingdom was was venerated as the patron of scribes. Scribes would pour a couple of drops of water in libation to him before beginning to write. During this time, this form of ancestor worship to Imhotep was privately practiced and his cult was similar to that of any of the dead (although more wide-spread). Also at that time, Imhotep was identified with Nefertem, the son of Ptah.

During the Late Dynastic Period when the capital of Egypt was moved to Sais, Imhotep was fully deified. He was called the son of Ptah and his mother was either Nut or Sekhmet. He was also associated with Thoth and became a patron of wisdom and medicine. Miraculous cures were often attributed to him. The Greeks identified him with Asclepius, their god of medicine and healing.

Imhotep was supposed to send sleep to those who were suffering or in pain. He was the physician to both the gods and men.

During the Ptolemaic Period, a small temple to Imhotep was built on the Island of Philae.

In art, Imhotep was portrayed as a priest with a shaven head, seated and holding a papyrus roll. Occasionally he was shown clothed in the archaic costume of a priest. He was not represented with divine insignias.

**Khepera**: is a form of the sun-god Ra. Khepera was specifically the god of the rising sun. He was self-produced and usually depicted as a human with a beetle on his head, or sometimes with the beetle _as_ his head. His name comes from the Egyptian word, _kheprer_ or "to become".Khepera is the manifestation of the rising sun. Khepera would roll the sun along the sky, much as the dung beetle rolls a ball of dung in front of him (sometimes the Khepera was also shown pushing the moon through the sky). This ball of dung is what it lays its eggs in. The beetle larvae eat the ball of dung after they hatch. The Egyptians would see the beetle roll a ball of dung into a hole and leave. Later, when many dung beetles emerged from the hole, it would seem as though they created themselves. Khepera also had this attribute of self-generation and self-renewal.

The particular dung beetle the Egyptians identified with Khepera was the _Scarabaeus sacer_.

**Ma'at**: was the goddess of the physical and moral law of Egypt, of order and truth. She said to be the wife of Thoth and had eight children with him. The most important of her children was Amon. These eight were the chief gods of Hermopolis and according to the priests there, they created the earth and all that is in it.

Ma'at is depicted in the form of a woman seated or standing. She holds the sceptre in one hand and the ankh in the other. A symbol of Ma'at was the ostrich feather and she is always shown wearing it in her hair. In some pictures she has a pair of wings attached to her arms. Occasionally she is shown as a woman with an ostrich feather for a head.

Another symbol of Ma'at is the primeval mound () upon which the creator god stood at the beginning of time. It was when the world was created and chaos was eliminated that the principles of Ma'at were set in place. The Egyptians believed that if the pharaoh ever failed to live by and maintain _ma'at_ that chaos would return to Egypt and the world and all would be destroyed. Thus, the pharoahs of Egypt saw it as their cosmic role to uphold the principles of Ma'at, and was due to Ma'at that the pharaohs had the authority to rule the land. Amenhotep stated that _ma'at_ was placed upon his breast by Amon himself. Akhenaten, the "heretic" king who was accused of deviating from her laws by his successors, repeatedly emphasized his adherence to Ma'at on many of his monuments.

When the dead were judged, it is was the feather of Ma'at that their heart were weighed against. If hearts of the deceased are as "light as a feather", they were granted eternal life in the _Duat_. The near-weightlessness of their hearts indicated that their souls were not burdened with sin and evil. If their hearts did not "measure up", the soul of the deceased was consumed by Ammit. This judgement occurred in the "Hall of the Two Truths", _Maaty_.

The last role of Ma'at was to help guide the Sun-god Ra as he made his journey across the skies. It was she that determined the course that his boat took across the sky each day. It was sometimes said that she actually traveled in his boat with him, guiding its direction.

**Meshkhent**: in ancient Egypt, women squatted upon a pair of bricks when delivering their babies. Meshkhent was personified as a female head on top of a birth brick. She was a goddess who presided over and assisted with childbirth. Alternately, Meshkhent was shown as a woman with the symbol of a cow's uterus on her head.

After bringing a baby safely into the world, Meshkhent decided the future of the child. In a famous myth, Meshkhent was present at the birth of three brothers - triplets - and foretold that each would become Pharoah. These three babies grew up to be Pharoahs Userkaf, Sahure and Neferirkare; the first three kings of the 5th Dynasty. Meshkhent was also assisted at the birth of Queen Hatshupsut and predicted her glorious future. Meshkhent was said to be the consort of Shay, the god of fate.

Meshkhent was primarily associated with the birth of mortal babies, while the goddess Heqet was more closely associated with the births of royal and divine births.

Like other deities associated with birth, Meshkhent was also influential in the re-birth of people following death. She was often depicted in the Hall of Judgement, near the scales where the deceased's heart was weighed against the feather of truth. At the Judgement, Meshkhent would testify on behalf of the deceased and his good character.

**Montu**: was the falcon-headed god of war. He was called the "lord of Thebes" even though his chief seat of worship was 10 miles to the south in Hermonthis. Hermonthis was the capital of the Theban nome.

Montu was portrayed as a falcon-headed man wearing a headdress consisting of the sun-disc encircled by the uraeus topped by two plumes. In his hands he would hold various weaponry, including the schimtar, bows and arrows, and knives.

Early in Theban history, Montu was an important prominent god. Later when Amon rose in popularity, Montu became overshadowed and was incorporated into the Theban worship of Amon. He was said to be the destructive element of the sun's heat. At this period Montu was said to slay the sun's enemies from the prow of the night-boat of the sun.

During the 11th Dynasty, Montu was particularly powerful. Four kings in this period were named after him as Mentuhotep.

In all periods, Montu's warrior aspect was evident. He was almost always shown carrying a weapon of some sort and even slaying the enemies of Egypt. In the famous narrative of the Battle of Kadesh, Rameses II was said to have seen the enemy and "raged at them like Montu, Lord of Thebes."

**Nefertem**: was an ancient sun-god of Lower Egypt. He was important to various creation myths. Nefertem was associated with the young boy (Atum) who emerged from the lotus of Nun at the beginning of time. It was this boy that shed the tears from which all of mankind emerged. Due to this relationship, Nefertem was often called "the young Atum.

The lotus from which Nefertem emerged was sacred to him from the earliest times. He was almost always depicted as a man wearing the lotus and two plumes on his head. It was said that Nefertem brought Ra a sacred lotus to ease his suffering.

Nefertem was a member of the holy triad of Memphis. He was the son of the god Ptah and the goddess Sekhmet. In Buto, he was called the son of the cobra-goddess Buto.

In art, Nefertem was usually portrayed as a man wearing the lotus and two feathers on his head, sometimes this elaborate headdress also included two menet necklaces. Occasionally, Nefertem was also shown as a lion-headed man.

**Nekhebet**: was the vulture-goddess of Upper Egypt whose cult center was the city of Nekheb. She was a protective deity of the south along with Seth. When Seth became disgraced as the murderer of Osiris, she became more important and prominent.

Nekhebet was often shown with Buto, the cobra-goddess of the North. As protective deities, they symbolized a united Egypt and guarded the pharaoh. Nekhebet was often shown with her wings spread above the pharaoh in a protective and almost motherly gesture of protection.

Nekhebet was called the right eye of Ra, and the wife of Hapi or Khenti-Amentiu, the First of the Westerners.

Nekhebet was portrayed in art as a vulture or as a woman wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt. In her hands she holds a lotus flower with a cobra wrapped around it and ankh.

**Onuris**: was a warrior sky-god whose primary cult center was near Abydos. Onuris was often identified with the sky god Shu and was called the "son of Ra. His name meant "He Brought Back the Distant One" (an alternate translation is "Sky-Bearer"). This is a reference to the myth in which Shu, as Onuris, retrieved Tefnut when she ran away to Nubia. Onuris' consort, Mekhit, was often identified with Tefnut, and both goddesses were portrayed as lioness-headed women.

With Shu's solar connection, Onuris became seen as a warrior aspect of the sun-god Re. He was depicted in Egyptian artwork as a bearded, spear-wielding man. He was often shown with his one of both of his arms upraised and prepared to strike at the enemies of Egypt. Onuris wore an embroidered robe and a crown with four high plumes.

As a warrior god, Onuris was identified with Horus. Onuris was seen as a protector of the people against enemies, evil spirits and pests. At festivals honoring him, mock battles were staged.

He became very popular during the New Kingdom. He was called "Savior", and the common people believed that he was a deliverer from their human burdens. His Egyptian name was "Anhur" and the Greeks called him Onuris. The Greeks associated him with their god of war, Ares. Following the fall of the New Kingdom, he remained very popular. During the Roman Era the Emperor Tiberius was depicted on the walls of Egyptian temples wearing the distinctive four-plumed crown of Onuris.

**Ptah**: was the chief god of the ancient city of Memphis. He was a creator god who brought all things to being by thinking of them with his mind and saying their names with his tongue. He was unique amongst Egyptian creation gods in that his methods were intellectual, rather than physical. According to the priests of Memphis, everything is the work of Ptah's heart and tongue: gods are born, towns are founded, and order is maintained.

Ptah was also the patron god of skilled craftsmen and architects. This may be due to the excellent sources of limestone near his temple in in Memphis. As a craftsman, Ptah was said to have carved the divine bodies of the royalty. In Dynasty XIX, he was shown fashioning the body of Rameses II out of electrum.

In the artisan's community of Deir-el-Medina, near Western Thebes, Ptah was especially venerated. He was believed to determine the individual destiny of the artists there. Craftsmen carved stelaes dedicated to their god. Ears were often carved on these stelaes to encourage Ptah to take notice of their prayers. In fact, one of Ptah's titles at Thebes was, "the ear which hears."

In Memphis, Ptah was part of a holy triad. His wife was the lioness-goddess Sekhmet, and his son was said to be either Imhotep or Nefertem.

Ptah is depicted as a bearded man wearing a skullcap and shrouded as a mummy. His hands emerge from wrappings in front of his body and hold the was sceptre, an ankh (hieroglyph meaning "Life") and a Djed (sign of stability).

**Qetesh**: is a goddess of Semetic origin. She was worshipped as a nature goddess, and a goddess of sacred ecstasy and sexual pleasure. Her cult became popular in Egypt during the New Kingdom. Qetesh's sexuality led to a natural association with the Egyptian goddess Hathor.

In early portrayals she is shown as a naked woman standing upon a lion. On her head is the cresent moon and disk. Later interpretations show Qetesh again on the lion, but with the headdress of Hathor, wearing a deep necklace and a tight-fitting dress which extends to her ankles. Her hands hold symbols of eroticism and fertility. In her right hand she holds lotus flowers and in her left, two snakes. Like Bes (and contrary to Egyptian artistic convention), Qetesh is always pictured full-face.

Qetesh was part of a triad with the child, Min, and her husband, Reshpu (another foreign god).

**Serapis**: was an anthropomorphic god created by the Greek pharaoh Ptolemy I. Ptolemy I chose Serapis to be the official god of Egypt and Greece. He hoped a common religious base would unify the two peoples and ease tension in the country. Serapis' attributes were both Egyptian and Hellenistic. Serapis became very popular and his cult quickly spread from its center in Alexandria.

A Roman historian insisted that the god was originally from Asia Minor. However, Egypt probably provided the essential attributes of Serapis. Serapis' Egyptian nature can be seen in his roots, which were drawn from the cults of Osiris and the Apis bull. These cults had been combined prior to the reign of Ptolemy I. At that time, a sacred bull of Memphis called Osorapis was worshipped after its death. Osorapis was an agricultural god whose cult emphasized the Egyptian principles of life after death. The early Greek pharaohs seemed to have been drawn to Osorapis as a god who seemed to fuse the myriad of Egyptian deities and possessed aspects that were easily fusible with the gods of the Greeks.

The Hellenistic elements of Serapis dominate Serapis' "personality" and iconogrpahy. Many greek gods contributed to his nature, including: Zeus, Helios, Dionysos, Hades and Aesculapius. From Zeus and Helios he received the aspects of sovereignty and sun-god. Dionysos brought to him the attribute of presiding over nature. Hades linked him to the afterlife and Aesculapius gave him the art of healing.

The Greek images of Serapis show him with long hair and a long beard. He is seated on a throne with the three-headed dog of Hades, Cerberus, at his feet. The Egyptian images of the god show him as a mummified human with the bead of a bull. He is crowned with the crescent moon and two plumes.

**Seshat**: was an ancient goddess of writing and measurement. She was also the patroness of mathmatics, architecture and record-keeping. Though she shared these duties with her husband, Thoth, Seshat was primarily a royal goddess. As early as the Dynasty II, Seshat was shown with the pharaoh stretching a cord to measure the dimensions of a new temple. To grant the king immortality, she recorded the name of the king of the leaves of the Tree of Life, which grew near where she lived. Also, she calculated the days of the king's earthly life and marked the number on the notched palm branch which she carried.

Throughout Egypt's history, Seshat was shown recording the number of captives and other booty taken during the king's military campaigns. She also recorded the goods brought back to Egypt from Punt during Hatshepsut's famous expedition.

Seshat was portrated as a woman wearing a dress and the priestly leopard skin. In her hands she holds the notched palm branch or the scribe's pen and palette. On her head she wears her headress which resembles a star or flower atop a pole or a bow.

Seshat carried many titles, such as "Lady of Builders", "Mistress of Books", and "Foremost in the Library".

**Sirius**: (the Dog-Star) was the most important star to ancient Egyptian astronomers because it reappeared in Egypt each year just as the annual Nile flooding began. Sopdet was the goddess of this star. The Greeks called her "Sothis". The "Sothis Rising" coincided with the actual solar year only once every 1460 years. This astronomical event occured during the reign of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius in AD 139. He commemorated it with a special coin. The time period between Sothic risings is called the Sothic Cycle and it is one of the tools Egyptologists use to create a chronology of Egyptian history.

As early as the 1st dynasty, Sopdet was called "the bringer of the New Year and the Nile flood." She was depicted as a human woman with a star on her head. She also guides the king to the afterworld, the Field of Rushes. In a 4th century BC papyrus, _The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys_, Isis calls herself Sopdet and states that she will always follow Osiris in heaven.

Sopdet was the consort of Sah (the constellation Orion) and her son was Soped. This triad parallel Osiris, Isis and horus. Therefore, in the Pyramid Texts, the king (in his Osiris form) copulates with his sister Sopdet, who gives birth to the planet Venus.

Sopdet was occasionally shown as a male, and was associated with Horus. In this form, Sopdet was one of the gods of the four corners of the earth and of the eastern frontier. As part of this duty, Sopdet would hold one of Nut's legs steady as her body arched over the earth.

**Wepwawet**: was a jackal-like funerary deity, whose name means "opener of the ways". Unlike Anubis, who was also jackal-like, Wepwawet was shown with a gray or white head. This leads some to believe that he may have originally been associated with the wolf. During the 12th Dynasty, Wepwawet was replaced by Khentyamentiu, a mummiform god, as the god of the Abydos necropolis and then finally by Osiris himself. Wepwawet was the nome god for the 13th nome of Upper Egypt, which the Greeks called "Lycopolis" (Wolf City).

Wepwawet's role was to protect and lead the deceased through the Underworld (hence his name). He also accompanied the king while hunting and while in this capacity was called "the one with the sharp arrow who is more powerful than the gods." Wepwawet was also thought of as a messenger and the champion of royalty. Like Shu, he was said to be "the one who has seperated the sky from the earth."

**Atum**: was one of the most ancient gods in Egypt and was part of the Heliopolitan cosmology. Originally an earth god, he became associated with Ra, the sun god. Specifically, he was considered to be the setting sun. In later times he became associated with Ptah and eventually Osiris.

According to the priests of Heliopolis, Atum was the first being to emerge from the waters of Nun at the time of creation. Originally, he was a serpent in Nun and will return to that form at the end of time. However, Atum was depicted in art as a man wearing the Double Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. As such, he is the first living man god conceived of by the ancient Egyptians. Until then, their gods were all forms of animals.

Following his self-creation from Nun, Atum created his children Shu and Tefnut by masturbating. This may seem impossible but Atum was a bisexual god. He embodied both the male and female aspects of life. Therefore, his semen contained all that was necessary to create new life and deities. The Egyptians called Atum "Great He-She" and his name meant "the complete one."

Later myths said that his children were products of his relationship with his shadow, or with the goddess Iusaaset.


	16. Chapter 14: Explanations

A/N: I am not going to give the explanations of the gods/goddesses in this chapter I did that in the last chapter. In this chapter let's asume that they all know about the Egyptian gods. Oh and Atum the god in I described in the last chapter his name is also spelled Atem but to create less confusion for everyone I used the alternat way of spelling it.

"What do I tell them first?" Kyrah asked Kaia "uh hey you guys know who Ra is?" Kaia asked. She recived a puzzled look from Jade.

"I sugest you start with the beginning where Ra was created it's easier to understand that way" Kaia said "ok this is going to take awhile" Kyrah said.

"In the beginning, before there was any land of Egypt, all was darkness, and there was nothing but a great waste of water called Nun. The power of Nun was such that there arose out of the darkness a great shining egg, and this was Ra. Now Ra was all-powerful, and he could take many forms. His power and the secret of it lay in his hidden name; but if he spoke other names, that which he named came into being.

"I am Khepera at the dawn, and Ra at noon, and Tem in the evening," he said. And the sun rose and passed across the sky and set for the first time.

Then he named Shu, and the first winds blew; he named Tefnut the spitter, and the first rain fell. Next he named Geb, and the earth came into being; he named the goddess Nut, and she was the sky arched over the earth with her feet on one horizon and her hands on the other; he named Hapi, and the great River Nile flowed through Egypt and made it fruitful.

After this Ra named all things that are upon the earth, and they grew. Last of all he named mankind, and there were men and women in the land of Egypt.

Then Ra took on the shape of a man and became the first Pharaoh, ruling over the whole country for thousands and thousands of years, and giving such harvests that for ever afterwards the Egyptians spoke of the good things "which happened in the time of Ra".

But, being in the form of a man, Ra grew old. In time men no longer feared him or obeyed his laws. They laughed at him, saying: "Look at Ra! His bones are like silver, his flesh like gold, his hair is the colour of lapis lazuli!"

Ra was angry when he heard this, and he was more angry still at the evil deeds which men were doing in disobedience to his laws. So he called together the gods whom he had made - Shu and Tefnut and Geb and Nut - and he also summoned Nun. Soon the gods gathered about Ra in his Secret Place, and the goddesses also. But mankind knew nothing of what was happening, and continued to jeer at Ra and to break his commandments. Then Ra spoke to Nun before the assembled gods: "Eldest of the gods, you who made me; and you gods whom I have made: look upon mankind who came into being at a glance of my Eye. See how men plot against me; hear what they say of me; tell me what I should do to them. For I will not destroy mankind until I have heard what you advise."

Then Nun said: "My son Ra, the god greater than he who made him and mightier than those whom he has created, turn your mighty Eye upon them and send destruction upon them in the form of your daughter, the goddess Sekhmet."

Ra answered: "Even now fear is falling upon them and they are fleeing into the desert and hiding themselves in the mountains in terror at the sound of my voice."

"Send against them the glance of your Eye in the form Sekhmet!" cried all the other gods and goddesses, bowing before Ra until their foreheads touched the ground.

So at the terrible glance from the Eye of Ra his daughter Sekhmet came into being, the fiercest of all goddesses. Like a lion she rushed upon her prey, and her chief delight was in slaughter, and her pleasure was in blood. At the bidding of Ra she came into Upper and Lower Egypt to slay those who had scorned and disobeyed him: she killed them among the mountains which lie on either side of the Nile, and down beside the river, and in the burning deserts. All whom she saw she slew, rejoicing in slaughter and the taste of blood.

Presently Ra looked out over the land and saw what Sekhmet had done. Then he called to her, saying: "Come, my daughter, and tell me how you have obeyed my commands."

Sekhmet answered with the terrible voice of a lioness as she tears her prey: "By the life which you have given me, I have indeed done vengeance on mankind, and my heart rejoices."

Now for many nights the Nile ran red with blood, and Sekhmet's feet were red as she went hither and thither through all the land of Egypt slaying and slaying.

Presently Ra looked out over the earth once more, and now his heart was stirred with pity for men, even though they had rebelled against him. But none could stop the cruel goddess Sekhmet, not even Ra himself: she must cease from slaying of her own accord -and Ra saw that this could only come about through cunning.

So he gave his command: "Bring before me swift messengers who will run upon the earth as silently as shadows and with the speed of the storm winds." When these were brought he said to them: "Go as fast as you can up the Nile to where it flows fiercely over the rocks and among the islands of the First Cataract; go to the isle that is called Elephantine and bring from it a great store of the red ochre which is to be found there."

The messengers sped on their way and returned with the blood-red ochre to Heliopolis, the city of Ra where stand the stone obelisks with points of gold that are like fingers pointing to the sun. It was night when they came to the city, but all day the women of Heliopolis had been brewing beer as Ra bade them.

Ra came to where the beer stood waiting in seven thousand jars, and the gods came with him to see how by his wisdom he would save mankind.

"Mingle the red ochre of Elephantine with the barley-beer," said Ra, and it was done, so that the beer gleamed red in the moonlight like the blood of men.

"Now take it to the place where Sekhmet proposes to slay men when the sun rises," said Ra. And while it was still night the seven thousand jars of beer were taken and poured out over the fields so that the ground was covered to the depth of nine inches -- three times the measure of the palm of a man's hand-with the strong beer, whose other name is "sleep-maker".

When day came Sekhmet the terrible came also, licking her lips at the thought of the men whom she would slay. She found the place flooded and no living creature in sight; but she saw the beer which was the colour of blood, and she thought it was blood indeed -- the blood of those whom she had slain.

Then she laughed with joy, and her laughter was like the roar of a lioness hungry for the kill. Thinking that it was indeed blood, she stooped and drank. Again and yet again she drank, laughing with delight; and the strength of the beer mounted to her brain, so that she could no longer slay.

At last she came reeling back to where Ra was waiting; that day she had not killed even a single man.

Then Ra said: "You come in peace, sweet one." And her name was changed to Hathor, and her nature was changed also to the sweetness of love and the strength of desire. And henceforth Hathor laid low men and women only with the great power of love. But for ever after her priestesses drank in her honour of the beer of Heliopolis coloured with the red ochre of Elephantine when they celebrated her festival each New Year.

So mankind was saved, and Ra continued to rule old though he was. But the time was drawing near when he must leave the earth to reign for ever in the heavens, letting the younger gods rule in his place. For dwelling in the form of a man, of a Pharaoh of Egypt, Ra was losing his wisdom; yet he continued to reign, and no one could take his power from him, since that power dwelt in his secret name which none knew but himself. If only anyone could discover his Name of Power, Ra would reign no longer on earth; but only by magic arts was this possible.

Geb and Nut had children: these were the younger gods whose day had come to rule, and their names were Osiris and Isis, Nephthys and Seth. Of these Isis was the wisest: she was cleverer than a million men, her knowledge was greater than that of a million of the noble dead. She knew all things in heaven and earth, except only for the Secret Name of Ra, and that she now set herself to learn by guile.

Now Ra was growing older every day. As he passed across the land of Egypt his head shook from side to side with age, his jaw trembled, and he dribbled at the mouth as do the very old among men. As his spittle fell upon the ground it made mud, and this Isis took in her hands and kneaded together as if it had been dough. Then she formed it into the shape of a serpent, making the first cobra -- the _uraeus_, which ever after was the symbol of royalty worn by Pharaoh and his queen.

Isis placed the first cobra in the dust of the road by which Ra passed each day as he went through his two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. As Ra passed by the cobra bit him and then vanished into the grass. But the venom of its bite coursed through his veins, and for a while Ra was speechless, save for one great cry of pain which rang across the earth from the eastern to the western horizon. The gods who followed him crowded round, asking: "What is it? What ails you?" But he could find no words; his lips trembled and he shuddered in all his limbs, while the poison spread over his body as the Nile spreads over Egypt at the inundation. When at last he could speak, Ra said: "Help me, you whom I have made. Something has hurt me, and I do not know what it is. I created all things, yet this thing I did not make. It is a pain such as I have never known before, and no other pain is equal to it. Yet who can hurt me?-for none knows my Secret Name which is hidden in my heart, giving me all power and guarding me against the magic of both wizard and witch. Nevertheless as I passed through the world which I have created, through the two lands that are my special care, something stung me. It is like fire, yet is not fire; it is like water and not water. I burn and I shiver, while all my limbs tremble. So call before me all the gods who have skill in healing and knowledge of magic, and wisdom that reaches to the heavens."

Then all the gods came to Ra, weeping and lamenting at the terrible thing which had befallen him. With them came Isis, the healer, the queen of magic, who breathes the breath of life and knows words to revive those who are dying. And she said:

"What is it, divine father? Has a snake bitten you. Has a creature of your own creating lifted up its head against you? I will drive it out by the magic that is mine, and make it tremble and fall down before your glory."

"I went by the usual way through my two lands of Egypt," answered Ra, "for I wished to look upon all that I had made. And as I went I was bitten by a snake which I did not see -- a snake that, I had not created. Now I burn as if with fire and shiver as if my veins were filled with water, and the sweat runs down my face it runs down the faces of men on the hottest days of summer."

"Tell me your Secret Name." said Isis in a sweet, soothing voice. "Tell it me, divine father; for only by speaking your name in my spells can I cure you."

Then Ra spoke the many names that were his: "I am Maker Heaven and Earth." he said. "I am Builder of the Mountains. I am Source of the Waters throughout all the world. I am Light and Darkness. I am Creator of the Great River of Egypt. I am the Kindler of the Fire that burns in the sky; yes, I am Khepera in the, morning, Ra at the noontide, and Tum in the evening."

But Isis said never a word, and the poison had its way in the veins of Ra. For she knew that he had told her only the names which all men knew, and that his Secret Name, the Name of Power, still lay hidden in his heart.

At last she said: "You know well that the name which I need to learn is not among those which you have spoken. Come, tell me the Secret Name; for if you do the poison will come forth and you will have an end of pain."

The poison burned with a great burning, more powerful than any flame of fire, and Ra cried out at last: "Let the Name of Power pass from my heart into the heart of Isis! But before it does, swear to me that you will tell it to no other save only the son whom you will have, whose name shall be Horus. And bind him first with such an oath that the name will remain with him and be passed on to no other gods or men."

Isis the great magician swore the oath, and the knowledge of the Name of Power passed from the heart of Ra into hers.

Then she said: "By the name which I know, let the poison go from Ra for ever!"

So it passed from him and he had peace. But he reigned upon earth no longer. Instead he took his place in the high heavens, traveling each day across the sky in the likeness of the sun itself, and by night crossing the underworld of Amenti in the Boat of Ra and passing through the twelve divisions of Duat where many dangers lurk. Yet Ra passes safely, and with him he takes those souls of the dead who know all the charms and prayers and words that must be said. And so that a man might not go unprepared for his voyage in the Boat of Ra, the Egyptians painted all the scenes of that journey on the walls of the tombs of the Pharaohs, with all the knowledge that was written in _The Book of the Dead_, of which a copy was buried in the grave of lesser men so that they too might read and come safely to the land beyond the west where the dead dwell" Kyrah finished speaking about Ra and looked over at Kaia who nodded for her to continue.

"Hathor is the goddess of love, she was also the deity of happiness, dance and music, and a protector of women.

Hathor was in a private oasis in the middle of the desert enjoying herself to the fullest when Tarik one of the most wanted thieves in all of Egypt happened to come across the oasis.

He was instantly captivated by her beauty. When he aproached her she asked of his name. He replied "I am Tarik, and what may be your name?" he asked "I am Hathor goddess of love" she replied.

Hathor continued to bathe in the clear waters of the oasis. Tarik asked "if you are a goddess why are you not in the heavens?" "I choose to be here, this oasis is both beautiful and pure" she replied.

They talked for a while about many things. She knew he was a theif but didn't think much of it. By the time the sun had set the Tarik had fallen for Hathor who had mutual feelings towards him.

They met each day at the oasis and talked and played enjoying each others company to the fullest.

Every thing was going great for the two until the goddess Nut saw them together in the oasis. She was stunned at Hathor for even considering being with a human let alone theif.

Nut went to Ra and explained to him what she had seen. Ra was infuriated and once Tarik left the oasis for the night he was taken to the hall of Ma'at body and all. He was fed to Ammit without dying or being judged.

The next day Hathor waited for Tarik to come but he never did. She was later called to Ra and was told of what had happened to him.

Hathor fell into a state of grief. She couldn't change what had happened but every day for two years she would go to the oasis just for the memories of what the two shared.

Until Ra had it destroyed for having her dwelling in the past" Kyrah finished remembering the pain she had felt in her heart when she had first read the scriptures.

Kaia had fallen asleep on the couch while Kyrah was speaking. Jade looked at Kyrah with sorrow in her eyes.

"So why is he back?" Jade asked. "Most likely revenge on Nut for telling Ra of their time together, Ra for ordering him killed, Ma'at for not giving him a trial, Anubis for not giving hima propper mumification insted of just letting Ammit eat him body and all, and Hathor for eventually forgetting about him" Kyrah said.

The room became silent as everyone thought on her words.

A/N: The part about Ra at the beginning is all true but the part about Hathor and Tarik is what I mad up. I hope you enjoyed it and i'm sorry for taking a while to update.


	17. Chapter 15: Painful Recollections

A/N: Sorry about taking so long to update i've been really busy

"Now that you all know you should get some sleep" Kyrah said breaking the silence "but i'm not tired" Jade said looking at her with pleading eyes.

"You need your rest we can talk in the morning" Kyrah said "fine" Jade said as Bakura followed her upstairs.

"What about Kaia?" Atem asked "i'm going to stay here with her" Kyrah said softly.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Atem asked "it's fine really get some rest pharoah" Kyrah said. Atem walked over and sat down beside her, Kyrah turned to face him "what?" she asked. "You should get some rest too you know" he said "i'm fine" Kyrah said as she closed her laptop.

"Well see you in the morning... I mean later" Atem said "see ya later" Kyrah said softly closing her eyes and relaxing on the couch.

Atem leaned in and kissed her lightly causing her eyes to flash open. He broke away from her and stood up. He walked up the stairs without glancing back once. Kyrah let her gaze linger on the spot she had last seen him and a slight tinge of crimson stained her cheeks.

'I shouldn't have been that surprised he kissed me in the garden already, what's with me' Kyrah thought.

Later Tea woke up and walked into the lounge and saw Kyrah sitting down looking of into space.

"Hey Kyrah you're up early" Tea said softly noticing Kaia asleep on the couch. "I never went to sleep" Kyrah said absent mindly.

"What? you never went to sleep? you must be tired" Tea said sitting next to her "whatever" Kyrah said her tone blank and expressionless.

"So what did you do last night?" Tea asked Kyrah didn't hear her question as all her senses went into listening for any sign of danger.

"Hello? anyone home?" Tea asked waving her hand infront of Kyrah's face. Kyrah blinked and turned to look at her "what?" she asked.

"Is something bothering you? you've been really spaced out since I got here" Tea said "no everything's fine" Kyrah said glancing over to Kaia who lay sound asleep on the couch. 'I promised your mom I wouldn't let anything happen to you but how can I protect you if i'm dead' she thought.

"Hell why am I thinking that? It's not over till it's over" Kyrah whispered to herself barely realizing she spoke out loud.

"What was that?" Tea asked not understanding what Kyrah had said "what was what?" Kyrah asked looking at her.

"You just said something about why am I thinking that and it's not over till it's over" Tea said "I did? oh well it's nothing" Kyrah said. "Ok" Tea said not wanting to pry to much and get her upset.

Joey, Tristen and Yugi walked down the stairs with Serenity coming down behind them. They all went into the kitchen passing the lounge straight.

"They look like zombies" Kyrah stated glancing over to the hall where they all just walked down. "Must have fallen out of bed or something" Tea said standing up to follow them.

"Kyrah you coming?" Tea asked turning around "no i'll just be here if you need me" Kyrah said softly still no emotion showing as she saw flashes from her pained past. Tea nodded and waled away.

Atem slowly walked down the stairs to the lounge followed by Bakura and Jade who all looked sleep deprived.

"You should still be sleeping" Kyrah said softly her eyes frosted over with her emotionless mask. "Couldn't sleep" Jade said softly colapsing on the couch next to Kyrah and leaning on her like a pillow.

"Let's see was it a nightmare or was it curiousity?" Kyrah asked glancing down at Jade who had closed her eyes and was leaning on her shoulder. "Both" Jade said softly.

"Well get some rest you need it" Kyrah said softly nudging her lightly. Jade nodded and trudged towards the stairs.

Atem walked over and sat down next to Kyrah. Bakura sat on a chair next to the couch. "You two should go back to sleep as well" Kyrah said not letting her tone to change.

"I'm fine" Bakura said yawning as he curled up on the chair. Kyrah sighed and looked to Atem who shruged in response.

After a few moments Kyrah resumed her thoughts and her eyes clouded over and they looked like a sheet of smooth shining ice.

Atem glanced over and noticed that she seemed to be deep in thought. "Kyrah is something bothering you?" he asked. Kyrah didn't quite grasp the question as she slowly lost all contact with the outside world and was completely lost in her mind.

'What the wasn't I just in the lounge? Where am I? It looks vagely firmilliar but when have I seen this place?' Kyrah wondered as she walked through the endless darkness of her mind. 'Is that a door?' she wondered walking closer.

'Everything is so dark but on the other side of this door is light I can see it shining through the cracks' she thought as she turned the door knob and pushed gently on the door.

As soon as she pushed open the door she heard a faint laughing. 'Wait I know where this is. This was my home in Cario before my family died' Kyrah thought.

Kyrah walked towards the sound of the joyous laughter and stoped infront of an open door gazing into the room where she sat with her sister when they were younger. "Sheriza" Kyrah whispered under her breath.

Kyrah walked closer to the image from her past and looked down into the eyes of her little sister.

A smile crossed Kyrah's face when she saw how happy her sister was. Then she heard a door slam behind her.

"Nikita! you bitch where are you?" Kyrah heard her father Adrian yell as she covered her sisters ears.Kyrah led Sheriza to her room and closed the door to go see what was wrong.

"Daddy?" Kyrah asked "where in bloody hell is your mother?" Adrian asked. "Mom said she was going to the museum and that she would be back late" Kyrah said taking a step back from her raging father.

Kyrah's dad gave her a cruel, cold hearted glare as he stomped out of the house, slaming the door hard behind him.

Kyrah beagan to cry at the memories as she looked at her younger self make her way back to her sister and acted like nothing was wrong.

Atem tapped Kyrah lightly on the shoulder to try and getr her attention but she remained still. Her eyes glossed over and it made her look like her soul had left her body. Her skin had become cold and fridged.

Tea walked into the room to see Atem and she walked towards him. Tea had a crush on him but never told him and was jealous of seeing him with Kyrah.

"Hey Atem how are you?" Tea asked smiling "fine, do you know what's wrong with Kyrah?" he asked. Tea glanced over to Kyrah for a moment and shook her head "no I don't."

"Kyrah what happened?" Sheriza asked as Kyrah sat beside her sister. "Oh nothing dad was looking for mom that's all" Kyrah said twisting the truth slightly so as not to worry her younger sibling.

"Oh ok can you read me a story i'm tired" Sheriza asked "yep" Kyrah said grabbing Sheriza's favorite book and sitting down.

After Kyrah had finished reading she went to her room and fell asleep looking out her window. A while later Kyrah heard a scream and bolted to her sisters room to check on her.

Sheriza was fine and was still asleep. "Good you're ok" Kyrah said softly looking at her sisters inocent face as she slept.

Kyrah heard the same high pitched scream and ran to the living room to see her mother on the ground clutching her stomach in pain and her father standing there in all his glory with his belt in his hand and a devilish grin plastered on his face.

He was about to kick Nikita when Kyrah ran out infront of her. "Daddy stop" she said firmly with a flicker of fear beneath the surface of her eyes.

"Get out of my was Kyrah I doubt you want an extra twenty lashes tonight" Adrian said harshly. Kyrah sucked up the courage in her and stood blocking him from getting to her mother who was now in terrible pain looking up at her with glistening eyes.

"You are way to determined for your own good, just like your mother. I'll teach you to disobey me" Adrian said whipping his belt as it lashed Kyrah in arm. Kyrah cringed from the pain and glanced over to see a trail of blood running down her arm from where her skin parted.

"That's one" Adrian said whipping his belt out again slashing Kyrah's other arm. "That's two" he said looking over to Nikita who lay helpless on the ground her eyes watering from her daughters bravery and abuse.

"You count and I might cut out five of the lashes" Adrian said Nikita nodded and looked at Kyrah. "Three" Nikita said weakly as she watched her daughter get whipped mercilessly by her father. "Four" she said, five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen" Nikita finished as Kyrah collapsed to the ground covered in a layer of her blood.

"Nikita you teach your child to obey me or you'll be doing this more often" Adrian said walking out of the house and slaming the door behind him.

Atem shook Kyrah gently as he watched her glossed over eyes start to water. Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks.

Nikita crawled over to Kyrah and held her in her arms. "My baby i'm so sorry I promise I'll find a way to end this" she whispered cradling Kyrah in her arms.

Kyrah's eyes filled with life and her skin became warm again.

"Kyrah are you alright?" Atem asked looking at her with deep concern "what? oh i'm... fine" Kyrah said returning to reality.

'That wasn't even the half of it' Kyrah thought back to that one painful memory 'it was only the begining.'

Atem and Tea looked at her both concerned as she glanced over to Kaia. "I promise that I won't let anything ever happen to you" Kyrah whispered under her breath.

Atem had just barely made out the words and looked at her. 'What does she mean by that?' he wondered.

A/N: Well there it is still waiting for song requests and I'll try and update sooner this time.


	18. Chapter 16: Numb

"Tea" Atem said "ya" she replied looking at him. "Can you give me some time alone with Kyrah?" he asked. "Ya, sure" Tea said getting jealous of Kyrah for being so close to Atem even though they just met.

Kyrah stood up and walked towards the garden. Atem got up to follow her out and glanced out the window seeing the rain continue to fall heavier from the dark ominous clouds hovering above.

"What happened back there?" Atem asked "what?" Kyrah asked him sitting down underneath the cherry blossom tree.

"Your eyes were glazed over and it looked as if your soul had left your body, you were as cold as ice and paler than a full moon, that's what" Atem said softly.

"Oh...It was nothing" Kyrah said, a tinge of sorrow in her voice. "It didn't look like nothing" he said. "Well it was ok, nothing happened!" she lashed out.

"I'm sorry, I was just..." Atem started but Kyrah cut him off. "No i'm sorry; you were just trying to help. I'm just not used to the way you treat me. I only ever interact with others when i'm working or practicing a new song" Kyrah said softly.

"I understand, but what do you mean by the way I treat you?" he asked. "You treat me with kindness and concern" The onlt people who ever did that are my co-workers/band members. (A/N: They're the same people)

"What about your parents, didn't they ever treat you with kindness or concern. You haven't really mentioned them" Atem said regretting his question as soon as he saw the pain in her deep midnight eyes.

"They're dead and i'd rather not talk about them" Kyrah answered standing up.

"Where are you going?" Atem asked. "My guitar" she answered simply dissapearing into the house.

Atem waited silently until Kyrah returned to the garden with her guitar and with Kaia walking behind her with her keyboard in hand.

"Morning Atem" Kaia said smiling as she hooked up her keyboard and Kyrah hooked up her amplifier and guitar.

"Morning" Atem said.

"What song are we playing Kyrah?" Kaia asked "Numb" Kyrah replied.

"Yay" Kaia said smiling brightly.

"One, two. One, two, three go!" Kyrah said as both girls started to play their instruments.

"I'm tired of being what you want me to be

Feeling so faithless

Lost under the surface

I don't know what you're expecting of me

Put under the pressure

Of walking in your shoes"

Kyraha sang with her voice ringing out loud and clear throughout the entire garden.

"Caught in the undertow/Just caught in the undertow"

"Every step that I take is

Another mistake to you"

"Caught in the undertow/Just caught in the undertow"

She sang softly.

"I've

Become so numb

I can't feel you there

Become so tired

So much more aware

I'm becoming this

All I want to do

Is be more like me

And be less like you"

"Can't you see that you're smothering me

Holding to tightly

Afraid to loose control

Cause everything that you thought I would be

Has fallen apart right in front of you"

"Caught in the undertow/Just caught in the undertow"

"Every step that I take is

Another mistake to you"

"Caught in the undertow/Just caught in the undertow"

"And every second I waste

Is more than I can take"

"I've

Become so numb

I can't feel you there

Become so tired

So much more aware

I'm becoming this

All I want to do

Is be more like me

And be less like you"

"But I know

I may end failing too

But I know

You were just like me

With someone disappointed in you"

"I've

Become so numb

I can't feel you there

Become so tired

So much more aware

I'm becoming this

All I want to do

Is be more like me

And be less like you"

"I've

Become so numb

I can't feel you there"

"I'm tired of being what you want me to be"

"I've

Become so numb

I can't feel you there"

"I'm tired of being what you want me to be"

Kyrah finished singing and Kaia just smiled.

Atem smiled at them and stood up and walked over to them.

"That was excellent" he said.

"I wish the guys were here" Kaia said smiling as she walked over to hug Kyrah.

"Ya me too" Kyrah said pulling Kaia closer.

A/N: Sorry for the delay but i've been really busy with soccer practice and the tournament so that's why I couldn't update. I'm going to try and update some of my other stories soon too.

The song I used in this chapter was called Numb by Linkin Park. This song was requested by Sesshygirl3.

I'm Still waiting for song requests so you just tell me and i'll see what I can do. Ok well that's all for now.


	19. Chapter 17: Hospital Wacko's

A/N: Sorry again for the delay but my computer has been all fuckin screwy and I couldn't use it so I had to use the computers at school which is a real drag but once my computer is up and running good again i'll be updating sooner.

"Kyrah, the storm hasn't died down yet so we can't go see how the guys are and i'm worried about them" Kaia said softly.

"Ya, i'm worried about them too but you can't go out there in that storm, I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you" Kyrah said comforting the younger girl.

'I am quite worried about those two guys, and it would be much safer if they were here cause i have no idea how much i pissed that spirit of. I'm not leaving them where they could be easy targets' Kyrah thought finally coming to desicion about leaving the house for a short vist to the hospital.

Kyrah put her guitar down and walked away from Atem and Kaia who were now looking at her with confusion in their eyes.

"What?" Kyrah asked, getting annoyed at the questioning glances she was recieving.

"Where are you going?" Kaia asked.

"Nowhere just for a walk" Kyrah said, turning and jogging into the house.

Kyrah ran upstairs and grabbed her jacket. 'I'm not in the mood for an argument so i'll just take an alternate rout to get out of here' Kyrah thought looking over to the window.

Making sure her knife and dagger were in place she opened the window and slid down the roof and off onto the ground which was wet and slippery.

Kyrah started making her way through the storm towards the hospital.

In the garden with Atem and Kaia

The two stood in silence for a whyile before Atem voice his thoughts. "Where did Kyrah go?"

"I don't know" Kaia answered looking at the abandoned guitar that lay on the ground beside the amp.

"Uh..i'm going to go look for Kyrah" Kaia said feeling uncomfortable with the silence that surrounded the two.

Atem nodded and walked into the house behind her taking a seat on the couch in the lounge.

To the sleeping Bakura

Atem sat pondering the causes of Kyrah's odd behavior not long ago. Coming up with nothing he just sat there looking of towards the lounge doorway.

Bakura turned in his sleep and fell of the chair.

"Araghahhhhh!!!!!!!" Bakura yelled as he made contact with the carpeted floor.

Atem looked over to Bakura who was curently rubbing his head.

"Are you ok Bakura?" Atem asked.

"Ya i'm fine. This will teach me not to sleep on a chair again.....no matter how warm and soft it is" Bakura added the last part smiling his adorable smile. Atem let out a light laugh at his friend.

To the sleeping Jade

Jade rolled around in her bed trying to get back to sleep but whatever she tried nothing worked. She was restless and kept on turning and twisting. She turned so much that she got tangled up in the sheets.

"Forget this i'll just go downstairs" Jade said trying to unwind, but to no avail.

"What the hell, if stuck" Jade said as she started to strugle with the sheets which held her captive in their warm silky embrace.

Unknown to her, Jade was nearing the edge of her bed with all the movement she was doing.

"Let me go, you freakin sheets! I want out!" Jade yelled out as she continued to struggle.

"Let me fu..araghahhhhhhh......oooff" Jade yelled as she rolled of the bed and landed on the ground with a soft thud.

"Owwwwie" Jade moaned as she just lay there.

"What's wrong are you alright?" Bakura asked rushing into the room.

He was sitting downstairs with Atem until he heard Jade's yell and dashed up to see if she was ok.

"Ya i'm fine, look how fine I am. Now get me out of here!" Jade said starting to struggle to show that she meant the sheets.

Bakura looked at her for a second and then burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha; very funny. Now get me out!" Jade said.

"Ok...i'm sorry...very...sorry...for...laughing...at you...but it...was...quite...funny" Bakura just made out between fits of laughter.

'Has he been drinking or something, I swear this isn't that funny' Jade thought her face with a bored expression on it.

"Uh sometime today Bakura" Jade said.

Unable to make any words let alone sentences Bakura just nodded and went over to her. Bakura started to untangle the stressed girl and then he too became stressed out since the sheets refused to unwind proparly.

Jade burst out with laughter from seeing Bakura's annoyed expression as he fought with the sheets.

"It's not funny!" Bakura said frowning as he continued to fight with the sheets.

"Awwww Kura you look so adorable" Jade said smiling. Bakura stoped and looked at her.

"Kura?" he asked puzzled. "Ya; Kura it's a perfect pet name" Jade said smiling.

"Why?" Bakura asked. "Because it's cute just like you" Jade said smiling. At this Bakura blushed crimson.

Bakura fought to control the heat in his cheeks while he untangled the sheet.

"Finally" Bakura sighed as the sheet came loose enough for Jade to slip out of easily.

"Finally, I am free from that acursed prison" Jade said triumphantly recieving more laughs from Bakura.

To Atem in the lounge

Kaia came rushing through the lounge doors with a worried expression on her face.

"Kyrah is gone" she said stopping infront of Atem with a please-find-her-for-me-cause-i'm

-worried-and-she's-not here-and-I-don't-know-what-to-do-and type look on her innocent face.

"What? She's not here?" Atem asked standing up at the sudden news.

Kaia shook her head in dismay. Atem walked over to her and had her sit down.

"Don't worry i'll find her, she's bound to be here somewhere, did you check the garden or the rec room?" he asked.

"Yes" Kaia said nodding sadly.

"Ok you just stay here, i'm sure she's somewhere and you just missed her that's all" Atem said trying to be reasuring.

He quickly left the room in search of Kyrah.

Let's take a look in the rec room with the others

Everyone else was jus hanging out in the rec room playing games and passing the time while the storm was still raging outside.

Atem walked down the stairs swiftly.

"Has anyone seen Kyrah?" he asked.

"No, sorry maybe she's in the garden she seems to spend a lot of time out there" Tristen said.

Atem nodded disapointedly an dran up the stairs.

To Kyrah and the furiously raging storm

"The rain water I so cold" Kyrah mumbled to herself as she walked quickly down the street towards the hospital.

'Even if I do get there and the guys are awake how will I get them back to the house in this weather' Kyrah wondered 'oh well i'll think of something before I get there.'

To the garden and the still searching pharoah

Atem rushed through the entire garden and then through the Maze occasionally making wrong turns and getting lost.

Once he was out of the maze and sure that Kyrah wasn't in the garden he returned to the lounge where he met Kaia's hopeful eyes.

"I can't find her anywhere" Atem said sadly.

Kaia looked down sadly as she prayed for her friends' saftey wherever she was.

Back to Kyrah

"Damn storm" Kyrah cursed under her breath.

'There it is' Kyrah thought picking up the pace as the hospital came into view not to far away from her.

Kyrah rushed into the hospital and out of the rain. She was soaked right through to the bone and she was freezing.

Her clothes clung to her form tightly and her hair stuck to her shoulders and back. She ran to the room Alex and Kyle were supposed to be in and smiled to see the two of them were up and arguing about which bands were better.

"Hey Kyrah how are you?" Alex asked sending a friendly, warming smile.

"I'm fine, how are you two?" Kyrah asked.

"Oh i'm fine but I think Kyle lost a few brain cells" Alex said joking around.

"I didn't but maybe we should have the doctors look at your brain to see what causes your stupidity" Kyle asked.

Kyrah shook her head. She was relieved that her friends were alright but she would always end up annoyed with their constant bickering.

Kyrah sat down on a chair in one of the corners and removed her soaked black vans shoes. She flipped it upside down and watched the water pour out of it like a river.

At this both Kyle and Alex stoped and looked at her with questioning in their eyes.

"It's real stormy out there" was her only reply.

"So you guys think you can make it walking out in that storm for a few blocks?" Kyrah asked.

"Ya of course, anything to get away from all these people and all this white" Kyle said saying the last word in a sickened tone.

"What don'r you like white?" Kyrah asked confused.

"Ya, but there is only so much a guy can take. The walls are white, the beds are white, the clothes are white, the doors are white, even the radio thingys are white!" Kyle replied as if it were obvious.

At this both Kyrah and Alex started laughing.

Kyrah shook her head and regained her composure and dragged both boys down and out of the hospital with their things.

They started their walk to Jade's house in the freezing cold rainy storm.

To Atem and Kaia

"She'll be fine" Atem said trying to reasure himself as well as Kaia.

"Are you sure? We don't even know where she is" Kaia said softly.

"Ya i'm sure she's fine" Atem said.

Kaia nodded and leaned back into the softness of the couch pillows.

To Jade and Bakura

Jade had thrown the sheet that held her captive onto the ground and lay down with Bakura next to her.

Bakura ran his fingers through her hair gently as she cuddled up to him. Both of them were still tired and fell asleep shortly after. Both in the warmth of each others arms.

They didn't trust using a sheet out of fear it would capture them in an annoying and discouraging prison. (A/N: Sorry; I couldn't help myslef, I had to add that part)

To the storm travelers

"Why is it so damn cold out here and what's with the monsoon?" Alex asked as they trudged towards Jade's house.

"Don't ask me stupid questions" Kyrah said annoyed, this had been going on since they left the hospital.

They had been walking for almost twenty minuets and Kyrah was twice as drenched and frozen as she was before.

"There it is" Kyrah said as she picked up the pace with the boys trailing behind her trying not to fall.

To Atem and Kaia in the lounge

They both heard a knock at the door and ran to see who it was. Atem opened the door and pulled Kyrah inside and hugged her tightly not even caring about her being completely soaked or that he was getting soaked from holding her like this.

"Uh...Can you please let me go now i'm freezing cold and would very much like to go and change" Kyrha said softly.

"Where were you? You had us so worried" Kaia said.

"Ahem" Kyle said. "Ya don't we get any love here? I feel so left out" Alex said.

"You're both ok!" Kaia said pulling them inside and closing the door as she hugged them tightly.

"Awwwww you missed us smokey" Kyle said hugging her back.

Kaia pulled away and looked at him with a dull expression. "Must you continue to call me that" she said.

"Poor smokey, why don't you like the name" Kyle said smirking. "Ya it suits you" Alex grinned.

Atem still held onto Kyrah and was slowly easing his grip on her.

"Would you please release me now" Kyrah said shivering in his embrace.

"Come i'll take you upstairs" Atem said. "We'll be right back i'm just going to take Kyrah to her room."

"Ok" Came Kaia's response.

Atem led the frozen girl up the stairs to her room. He opened the door and closed it behind him as he entered the " Kyrah made out shivering.

"I know jsut hang on a while and you'll be nice and warm again ok" Atem said pulling of her sneakers and socks whick were way past drenched.

Then he led her to the bathroom and went to get her some dry clothes and a towel. He searched through her bag and pulled out a pair of loose fitting black boxers. 'Why does she wear boxers' he thought.

Shrugging he pulled out a red t-shirt which said "Eat well, Stay fit, Die anyway" in grey and black letters.

Grabbing the towel she had hanging on a chair he took the stuff to her who was still shivering.

"Ok, Kyrah you have to get out of those clothes or you'll get sick" he said.

She nodded still shaking and turned around with her back to him and slowly started to pull of her shirt. Her hands were shaking so much that she was having trouble getting it off. Noticing this Atem slid the shirt of for her and blushed.

He unhooked her bra and it slipped to the floor. He took the towel and wrapped it around her and she started to dry herself as much as she could while shaking with cold.

Blushing crimson Atem took the towel from her putting it on the counter beside them and picked up her t-shirt and pulled it over her head.

Atem then turned her to face him and saw that her cheeks were a deep shade of red deeper crimson than him.

He moved his hands to unbuckle her belt and unbutton her pants. Then he looked away as he slid it down her leggs. Kyrah stepped out of the pants and Atem pulled the towel back into his hands and wrapped it around her waist tucking one end in so it wouldn't fall.

'I know I should remove everything that's wet but i'm not going to go that far' Atem thought blushing.

Kyrah slid her hands into the waist of the towel still shivering and slid off her underwear. Atem sighed and took her shorts of the counter and slid them up for her.

He led her back into the bedroom and had her sit on the bed while he dried her hair. She cuddled up to him wanting his warmth and comfort desperatly.

He pulled her close and held her frozen form to him.

Downstairs with the two wacko boys and Kaia

"Come on Smokey you know we love you" Kyle said hugging Kaia.

"You both disgust me" Kaia said dully as she shoved both boys away.

"Fine be like that. Now we're soaked from head to toe where can we change" Alex said laughing lightly.

"Come on you two phsyco's" Kaia said leading them up to two of the vaccent rooms and told them to hurry up so she could kill them.

"Why must they call me Smokey" Kaia asked out loud not expecting an answer.

"Who's calling you smokey?" Yugi asked smiling as he saw her enter the lounge.

"Why aren't you in the rec room playing with everyone else?" Kaia asked.

"Joey and Tristen started to argue about who was better at duel monsters so I kinda left not wanting them to ask my oppinion" Yugi said.

Kaia smiled and let out a light laugh. "It isn't that funny you know" Yugi said smiling.

"So who is the better duelist?" Kaia asked. Yugi stoped smiling and seemed to be thinking hard about his answer.

"They're both good in their own ways. Joey is better at somethings than Tristen and vice versa" Yugi said.

"Then why don't you tell them that?" Kaia asked.

"I don't know, I never thought about it before" Yugi answered smiling.

"So Kaia how is like in Egypt?" Yugi asked. "Sandy and hot" Kaia replied.

Back to Kyrah and Atem

"Are you any warmer?" Atem asked. Kyrah nodded in response.

"Thank you pharoah" she said softly. "Are you ever going to use my real name?

"Maybe" Kyrah said smiling.

"Come, I want to play a song with the whole band being here and then we can talk more, and anyways it should warm me up a bit more" Kyrah said smiling.

"Ok let's go then" Atem said standing.

Kyrah ran over and grabbed a pair of dry black skater pants with a hawk on the back right pocket, and pulled it on over her boxers.

Then she walked with him to the lounge where she excpected to see everyone.

Kaia was sitting there alone since Yugi decided to go and give the two his opinion after Kaia had won the argument.

Kyrah and Atem walked in to see Kaia just sitting there.

"Where are the guys?" Kyrah asked.

"Comming Wolfie Baby" the guys called running down the stairs.

"What did you call me?" Kyrah asked in an irritated tone. "Awww Wolfie Baby I love you sooooo much" Alex said.

"Do you have a death wish?" Kyrah asked her eyes turning into narrow dangerous looking slits that prommised almost instant death.

"Er...No" Alex gulped taking a step back.

"Good. Then would you two like to grab your instruments and meet me outside to play a song?" Kyrah said in more of a demand than a question.

It sounded like a question but anyonw who played music with Kyrah knew that when she wanted to play a song with the group she would play it _with_ the group.

The guys ran upstairs to get their stuff and then ran back down to meet Kyrah in the garden where Kaia had directed them.

While the guys were setting up Kaia went to ask Yugi if he wanted to come watch her and the band play.

"Sure i'd love to" Yugi said sneaking away from the group yet again.

Atem and Yugi sat under the cherry blossom tree, and the group got ready to play their music.

Kyrah was there with her lead guitar, Kaia was with her keyboard, Alex was with his drum set and Kyle was with his bass guitar.

"One, two. One two three go!" Alex counted them in.

"Something missing

Left behind

Search in circles

Every time I try

I've been here before (yeh)

I've seen you before"

Kyrah started singing softly.

"I can't escape winding down these halls

Hard to find a place where there are no walls

And no lines begging me to cross

Only straight ahead better move along"

Kyrah sang and was joined by Kyle. Their voices blending nicely to create a nice feeling to the song.

"Like clockwork

I commit the crime

I pretend to be

Everything they like

I've been here before (yeh)

I've seen you before"

Kyrah sang alone again. Her silky voice ringing throught the entire garden.

"I can't escape winding down these halls

Hard to find a place where there are no walls

And no lines begging me to cross

Only straight ahead better move along"

She was again joined by Kyle who smiled. He loved singing with her. Deep down inside he liked her a lot. He like her a lot more than he let on.

"And I trade everything for this  
And I trade everything for this

Why do I read the writing on the wall

Why do I read the writing on the wall"

Kyrah sang with Alex who was grinning as he played his drums.

"I won't lose my place in line

I've been here too long and I've spent too much time

I won't lose my place in line

I've been here too long and I've spent too much time"

Kyrah and Kaia sang every so softly softening the words so they flowed like crystal water through a riverbed.

"Something missing

Left behind

Search in circles

Every time I try

I've been here before (yeh)

I've seen you before"

Kyrah sang by herself her voice shattering the pause of silence.

"I can't escape winding down these halls

Hard to find a place where there are no walls

And no lines begging me to cross

Only straight ahead better move along"

Kyle joined her in singing and strummed away on his bass guitar glancing at Kyrah every now and then. Not enough to be noticed by anyone.

"And I trade everything for this  
And I trade everything for this

Why do I read the writing on the wall

Why do I read the writing on the wall

Why do I read the writing on the wall

Why do I read the writing on the wall"

Alex sang with her filling his words with emotion. If he did anything right it was music. If he couldn't do it right, he didn't do it.

Kyrah played her guitar up untill the last beat of the song and in her heart she was content for that one second after finishing the song.

Both Yugi and Atem clapped for their performance.

"You should perform for everyone else too, you're really great" Yugi said excitedly.

"Maybe tomorrow or something" Kyrah said.

"Ok" Yugi said. Kaia packed up hewr keyboard and said bye to the group and went to her room. Yugi followed her so they could talk a bit and get to know each other more.

"So Wolfie Baby you haven't lost your touch" Alex said smiling.

"You haven't been out that long you idiot!" Kyrah said meanicingly as she stalked closer to him. Her eyes became narrow dangerous slits again and he hid behind Kyle who was too lost in thought to notice that Alex was hiding behind him.

Alex tried to make a run for it. Kyrah took the oportunity and tackled him to the floor.

"I give! I give! Let me Owwww! Go! Oww!" Alex yelped as Kyrah bent his wrist backwards. Not enough to make it break but enought to cause a lot of pain.

Kyrah released him smirking. The fool would never learn. She just stood there while Alex and Kyle packed up their stuff and went inside the house.

"You ok?" Atem asked resting his hands on her shoulder. "Ya. Come on, let's go inside" she said packing up her guitar and amp.

The two headed back inside and up to her room where she put away her things.

Atem sat on the edge of her bed and watched her as she stripped of the skater pants and plopped down on the bed.

Kyrah felt her blood turn ice cold with a presance that was unfirmilliar to her coming towards the house.

A/N: I think i'm going to go plop down on my bed now too. Warm and soft yay. Lol don't mind me it's almost two in the morning and my head is killing me from listening to my friend bickering and annoying the shit out of me.

Ok anyways the song I used in this chapter is "These Walls" by Trapt. This song was requested by Sesshygirl3.

I'm Still waiting for song requests so you just tell me and i'll see what I can do. Ok well that's all for now.

I'll try and update as soon as I can ok so i'm going to go home now before I get grounded for being out at a friends house this late to use the computer.


	20. Chapter 18: Needing Comfort

A/N: Sorry for the delay...personal problems and writers block aren't a good mix.

Bloting upright Kyrah walked across the room to the window and looked outside. Not seeing anything she could have cursed the gods. She could feel the preasence coming. She could taste the strength and ancient power in their aura. Not wanting to set any of those within the house at danger, Kyrah whispered a prayer to the egyptian gods for their protection over the people in the house. She had dared this creature to come out and play and she wasn't going to allow any one to be harmed because of it.

"Kyrah what's wrong?" Atem asked worry evident in his voice. Not hearing the question due to being deep in thought she walked past him and pulled out a slim silver blade from her jeans pocket and then walked back to the window and continued staring out. Just as she put the blade to her skin Atem grabbed her hand shaking her from her thoughts.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why wouldn't you answer me? And why the hell do you have a knife out again?" He asked looking into her eyes. "I...uh...nothing...I mean...ah fuck just let me go pharoah" she said pulling out of his hold.

"Kyrah just please don't hurt yourself" Atem said softly. "You just don't understand do you? I need to cut...it's how I get by" she said.

"Listen, you don't need to cut; you can talk to me about it and i'll listen" Atem said. "With all due respect Pharoah, you have much bigger problems in the future for you to worry about than me. You need to keep your mind free and focused. And i'd just be in the way. You did great things pharoah and you are still destined to do great things and you don't need me fucking up things for you" Kyrah said.

"You won't fuck anything up for me; I want you to come to me and not have to do this to yourself" he said.

"Why Pharoah? why do you care? If we were in egypt long ago i'd just be a slave or peasent or whatever you want to call them, why would you care about a mere servent who would get killed without a thought by one of your gaurds?" she asked.

"I don't care about the past, I can help you now and i'm trying to but you have to let me" Atem said. "You may not care about the past pharoah but I do, it's my life. I don't remember much of my past before this life, so your life right now is very important to me so you have to care about the past" she said.

"You remember your previous life?" Atem asked. 'Oh shit I shouldn't have said anything' Kyrah thought. "Uh nevermind it's gone and done with nothing more" she said turning away from him.

Atem wanted to know more but he didn't press the matter. He decided to leave it until she was ready to tell him. Kyrah was silent while making a few quick cuts on her wrist and then tossed the blade onto the jeans on the floor.

Atem sat on the bed and sighed. "Pharoah it's late and you should get some rest" Kyrah said turning to him.

"I'm not tired" Atem stated.

Kyrah just looked at him for a minute before flopping back onto the bed next to him. He smirked at her fatigued face. "You look tired you should get some sleep, especially since you didn't sleep at all yet" he said.

"I don't like to sleep" Kyrah stated. "Why?" he asked "I hate the nightmares that accopanies it" she said absent mindly. Atem looked at her for a second and then smiled. "Well you don't have to worry i'll be right here if you wake up and need some comfort" he said.

"No, I don't want comfort and I don't want sleep" Kyrah said softly as she curled up to a pillow. "You may not want sleep but you need it" Atem said "and if you want the comfort i'll be happy to give it".

"I don't need sleep; I haven't really slept in almost forever. I only sleep when I pass out from...nevermind" she said.

"Kyrah, can I ask you something?" Atem asked. "Sure, but I can't promise i'll give you an answer" she replied. "Why did you start cu...harming yourself?" he asked. Kyrah seemed to be thinking if she wanted to tell Atem or not about one of her darkest secrets; one that's she'd kept locked away inside herself for so many years. A secret that has haunted a part of her dreams everytime she let herself drift into the realm of sleep.

Without even knowing it Kyrah became cold and stiff as she tried desperatly to subdue the pain that started to crash into her like waves. Pain from the memories that came back all too strong in her mind.

Standing up swiftly Kyrah walked to the door and paused "excuse me pharoah...I...I just need...a..." Kyrah started to choke on the tears that she was holding in. Not being able to hold in the pain any longer she collapsed to the floor as her tears broke free and streamed down her face.

Atem jumped up and ran to her shaking form. "Kyrah, what's wrong; are you ok?" he asked before realizing the stupidity of the question. Anyone who is on the floor shaking and crying uncontrollably is most definatly not alright.

Leaning down and pulling Kyrah into his arms Atem held her gently as if she was going to break if he touched her too hard. She rested her head on his chest and allowed him to hold her close. She felt scared and alone like a little child, and all she wanted was the warmth that he provided and just the knowladge that he was there.

"Please...I...Don't leave..." she stuttered and currled up in his arms and just cried. "I won't, I promise" Atem said whispering in her ear.

"Yugi, how does the mellenium item you have actually work? I mean I know it was where the pharoah was locked up for all those years and all but how does it actually work does it suck him in or something?" Kaia asked as she sat in front of him on the floor eagerly awaiting an answer.

"Uh well...I don't really know that much about it but he doesn't get sucked in he just kinda fades out of sight and somehow appears inside it" Yugi said trying to understand his own explanation.

"I see...Anyways, how did the pharoah and you meet?" she asked. "Well when I put the puzzle together, that's when he got freed and he came out of it and stuff" Yugi said.

"Oh that's cool, Kyrah told me that the puzzle was supposed to be very difficult so you must really be good at puzzles to have gotten it put together" Kaia said smiling. "Uh ya... thanks" Yugi said blushing lightly.

(A/N: the questioning will be continuing for awhile.)

Bakura woke up and smiled at Jade who layed cuddled up next to him. "Kura, go back to sleep" She mummbled while cuddling closer to him. Bakura chuckled softly and closed his eyes again feeling Jade's soft warm body snuggling closer. "Night Jade" he whispered in her ear.

Kyrah's crying had slowed to just tears trickling down her cheeks, but she still remained cuddled up in Atem's arms, not wanting the warm soothing comfort to leave her.

"Thank you Pharoah" she whispered softly through the remaining tears. "I'm sorry about the question, I didn't know i'd upset you that much" Atem said. "I just couldn't handle the pain from the memories; the question you asked brought me back to the point where my life fell apart; my deepest darkest secret that's been my own forever, i've never told anyone. I had no idea that you'd ask that; no one has ever asked me why I started to cut myself, and the shock of the question along with the answer in my soul was just too much for me" she said ashamed of knowing that she couldn't handle something.

"I'm so sorry Kyrah. I'm not going to deny that I still would like to know but if you aren't up for talking about it it's ok. But it might be better to get it off your chest" he said softly.

"I can't Pharoah, not now. I can't explain anything right now, just believe me when I say i'm greatful for your kindness" she said leaning into him more.

After awhile Kyrah was feeling a little more stable and stood up out of Atem's arms. "I uh...there's something I should tell..." Kyrah cut herself off when she heard her cell ringing. walking over to her jeans she pulled out her cell from the pocket and flipped it open.

"Hello" she said into the reciever. "Kyrah, shit's happening and I need you back here" Kendra's voice came from the other line. "Slow down, what's wrong?" Kyrah asked. "Another guy is dead, and someone hacked our files and some of the information was fucking lost, I need you to send them back to me" Kendra replied in frustration.

"Oh shit, as soon as the rain lets up i'll come and fix everything up and then i'll come back to finish the shit with the police. So don't worry, I just want you to make sure nothing happens to you or the tomb ok" Kyrah said. "No problem" Kendra said in a still flustered voice. "Bye then" Kyrah said. "Bye" came Kendra's voice before she hung up. Kyrah flipped her phone shut and tossed it on the bed.

"Kyrah what's going on?" Atem asked. "Nothing I can't handle" she said grabbing her laptop and flipping it open. Just as she logged on the screen went black and a box popped up saying you have one new message. Clicking the open button the message came up on the screen.

I told you to stay out of this; stupid human.

"Fucker" Kyrah mumbled angrily. Clicking the reply button she quickly typed her response.

Damn you to hell and back you jack ass; I'm not fucking scared of you so bring whatever hell you have. You can't possibly make my life any more goddamn worse. I'll be waiting.

Clicking the send button she slammed the computer shut and tossed it on the floor. "Damn fucking bastard if he even thinks that he can hurt me he's out of his goddamned fucking mind" She mumbled angrily pacing the room.

"Kyrah he might not be able to hurt you more than what happened to you in the past but he can hurt you. Please be careful" Atem said with concern in his eyes.

"Pharoah, If something happens; please make sure Kaia gets somewhere safe. Somewhere where the past can't hurt her" Kyrah said facing Atem.

Atem stood up and his eyes locked with hers. They stood like that for what seemed like forever; him staring into her deep black eyes and her staring into his crimson firey eyes. A gust of wind blew open the closed window and passed through Kyrah and into the hallway. Shuddering Kyrah's eyes got duller before she spoke.

"Something evil is here."


	21. Chapter 19: Chocolate Chips

Jade rolled over in her sleep knocking Bakura over who woke up and started to flail his arms in a desperate atempt to regain his balance and remain on the bed. Failing in his atempts he fell over the side of the bed with the blanket wraping around his torso cause him to pull Jade who happened to be lying down on the other end of the blanket over the edge of the bed. Her eyes shot open just as she landed on him with a slight thud and a groan from Bakura.

"Kura? Kura? Where are you?" Jade called glancing around the room with not a glimpse of the snowy haired teen in her midst.

'I wonder where Bakura is, maybe he went to the bathroom or something. Furthermore why is the ground so soft?' she pondered glancing around the room again.

"Jade; I know you may be still half asleep and not have your brain functioning fully yet but if you could just get off of me or climb back on the bed maybe i'd be able to unwrap the blanket from my abdomnable area" Bakura said softly nudging Jade in the lower back.

"Holy chocolate chips how'd you get under me!" Jade yelped jumping up and bouncing over to his side to pull him up.

"Chocolate chips?" he asked sitting up and looking at her.

"Oh uh...it was raining chocolate chips in my dream" Jade said as-a-matter-of- factly.

Bakura gave her a questioning look. "It's not my fault. I was just dreaming about Kyrah and the others playing a song and then the scene switched to when I was back in egypt visiting Kyrah; and then I was somewhere with chocolate chips raining from the sky and then it got really hot out and the chocolate chips started to melt and then they burned me and then a cold wind blew and little ice pellets fell with mini chocolate chip droplets and some big giant dude was making cookies with the chocolate chips and I almost got scooped up in the basket then I started to fall out of the sky with the chocolate chips and I landed on you..." Jade said suddenly not knowing what was wrong with her the dream was obviously very stupid.

Bakura was speechless. "Uh...you um...well...I guess you have a very active imagination" he finally said looking very confused.

"Well not really, it was a fiction I was reading a while ago; I don't know why all of a sudden it pops up in my mind but whatever" she said smiling and leaning over onto Bakura's lap.

"Besides that seemingly odd dream was I anywhere in there?" Bakura asked softly.

"Of course Kura, you and I were in the maze again but this time it was really dark and there were candles everywhere illuminating the area and then you kissed me" she said blushing.

"Really?" he asked with mischief in his voice. She looked at him with questioning in her eys before he bent over her and pressed his lips to hers and deepened it. Breaking away for a moment he looked down at her "was it like that?" he asked smiling.

Jade's eyes were hazy and unfocused as she fought for an answer. Then she thought of something and smirked to herself.

"No it was more like this" she said pressing her lips against his, Bakura deepened it then to his surprise and a realization of what she had meant before made him blush as she pressed her tongue against his lips wanting it.

Their toungues dueled for dominance when Jade finally gave in to a smirking Bakura.

"I's love to wake up like that more often" he said sighing and closing his eyes.

"I think I can arange that" she said smiling sweetly.

Bakura let out a laugh "i'm sure you can."

"You sure ask a lot of questions" Yugi said smiling softly. Kaia's cheeks tinged pink and she looked down to the floor.

"I'm sorry; it's just that i'm curious" she said.

"Oh no, it's not a bad thing I was just making an observation out loud. It's actually kinda cute" he said quickly not wanting to see the expression on her face as if she'd felt she'd done something wrong by smiply asking questions.

"Ok. Do you have any questions for me? It's only fair if I give you a chance to ask me stuff after all the stuff I just asked you" Kaia said her smile back on her face again.

"Well; oh how did you learn to play the piano that good?" he asked smiling.

"Practise; a lot of practise. My mom had signed me up for lessons when I was younger so I learned how to play classical and stuff like that on one of those huge pianos that take up about as much room as a bed. After that I got borde of it and met up with Kyrah, she was already playing guitar by the time I met her and she was awesome at it. She asked if I wanted to play with her and so she tought me to change my style of clasical playing to an easier anything-goes type playing style" Kaia said smiling.

"That's awesome, where's your mom now?" Yugi asked.

"In a graveyard..."Kaia replied softly her voice wavering slightly.

"Oh Kaia i'm so sorry, so I guess after that your dad took care of you?" Yugi said trying to lighten the sadness in her eyes.

"I don't know where he is, he walked out the day before my mother passed away and I never saw him again after that" she said softly m aking Yugi feel even more idiotic for making her feel worse.

"Uh; how did you meet Kendra?" he asked almost positive that, that would be a happier story.

"Well, I was in Toronto; studying abroad and then she was doing a lecture at my school. I was interested in the information she gave and the line of work she was in so I stayed back to talk with her. She apparently knew my mother and then when I told her that I was now an orphan due to my lack of parents she instantly took on the job of raising me and protecting me. She kinda became a sister figure to me. I've been with her since then" Kaia said letting a smile grace her lips.

"Wow, she took you in and everything; she hardly even knew you too right?" Yugi asked.

"Yep, she didn't know anything about me. The one thing that I don't understand is; she's alone too right so how could she have been so naturally good at fitting the "older caring sister" role. She'd talk about anything but her past, she said it was done and gone with and nothing past should spoil the future" Kaia said.

Yugi sat there and thought on what Kaia had just told him; about herself and Kyrah.

"Joey man why'd you do that I was so close to winning you knuckle head!" Tristen yelled knocking over the head.

"Well you would have won if you were good enough!" Joey yelled back.

Duke sat on the couch with serenity smiling at her and making light conversation.

Tea had been borde and was walking aimlessly around the house.

"You idiot you got us lost!" Alex yelled angrily. They had benn stuck in th emaze for almost an hour and were having not much luck finding away out.

"Me! you're the one who said 'oh look a maze these things are easy come lets try it' not me" Kyle stated flustered.

"Well you were supposed to keep you hand on the wall!" Alex yelled back.

"You never said which wall!" Kyle shot back.

(A/N: I almost feel sorry for them. Then again it's their fault fro getting lost in the maze in the first place so I guess they deserve it. They'll be arguing for awhile longer by the way.)

"What do you mean something evil is here?" Atem asked as he walked over closing the window.

"Tell everyone to stay where they are while I deal with this ok" she said in a more demanding tone than usual.

"What about you? I'll come back up; I can help you" he said softly.

"No pharoah I dared him to come out and play so now i'm going to play his game so get down stairs and now!" she yelled rushing past him and out into the hallway.

Akina started to howl and Shiara started to screech from inside their enclosed prison. 'I knew they would sense it as it entered the house. I have to hurry before something bad happens to the others' she thought shuddering as she felt the presence whisp around her body and floated towards the stairs.

The door down the hall opened and Akina ran out followed by Azriate and Shiara. 'Smart thinking Azriate' Kyrah thought allowing a smile to cross her face.

"Come out, come out where ever you are" she said in a strong mocking tone. 'You just didn't know how to keep out of his buisness did you? You had to challenge him" a voice whispered in her mind.

"Get out of my head!" she growled out angrily.

'Poor thing I guess you're just all talk like everyone else. Well too bad now; you're in for a living nightmare, and a sad death' the voice said chuckling as it faded from her mind and vanished completely, taking with it the evil aura and presence with it.

"Kyrah! Are you ok?" Kaia called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes! It's over!" she replied.

'But for how long? He'll be back he was just toying with me this time. Next time I might not be so lucky to survive' she thought closing her eyes and leaning back against the cool powdery white walls.

A/N: There we go sorry it took so long for such a short chapter but school started so I have homework to do. I hope you liked this chapter 'Maliks Yami' I thought i'd oblige to your request for being such a great reviewer. Well lot's more to come i'll update as soon as I can. Take care you all. Ja ne!


End file.
